


Just A Queen and Her Princess

by OnceUponATimeLover28



Category: Once Upon A Time - Fandom
Genre: AndEmmafallsinlovewithRegina, Boss/Assistantrelationship, Emmahasasecret, F/F, Mentionsdeath, Mildsexscene, Oratleastshethinksshedoes, ReginafallsinlovewithEmma, Zelenahasasenseofhumor, onceuponatime, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-05-04 00:10:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19194946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceUponATimeLover28/pseuds/OnceUponATimeLover28
Summary: Regina Mills owns her own law firm, and has a major crush on her assistant, Emma Swan Charming. When her mother asks her to come visit for the weekend, she lies and says she has a significant other to bring to introduce to her family. Regina asks Emma to come with her, and the two hit it off, with Emma admitting that she has feelings for her as well. But when Emma reveals a dark family secret during the weekend, can Regina just possibly help her overcome it? Can she be Emma’s hero?No magic, no curse. Just a story for those that love Once Upon A Time and ship SwanQueen.





	1. The Favour

Chapter 1: The Favour 

“Miss Mills?” 

God she was so gorgeous, Regina thought to herself. Her hair was pulled up in a half up half down style, blond curls falling to her waist. Her green blouse was slightly low cut, meaning that if she leaned forward slightly she could see some cleavage... 

“Miss Mills?” 

“Oh!” She started, noticing that Emma’s hand on her arm felt like electricity. She smiled up at her assistant. “I’m sorry dear, I guess I’m a little distracted.” 

Emma smiled back. “I just wanted to tell you that your one o’clock appointment is here... Mr and Mrs Potts.” 

Nodding, she smiled. “Right, thank you. I need you to do a few things for me actually.” 

Emma opened up her notepad and clicked her pen. “What do you need Miss Mills?” 

I need you to fuck me on my desk, right now. Blushing furiously, she focused on her planner spread out in front of her. “I need you to cancel my ten o’clock appointment for tomorrow, pick up my dry cleaning at four, and call Mrs. Smith to remind her about her appointment next week.” She glanced up, admiring the swift way that Emma was writing. “And um..” Regina trailed off. She pursed her lips as Emma looked up at her and smiled, waiting. “I’m staying with my parents this weekend and I kind of told them I was bringing my significant other. But, I don’t actually have one. My mother has been hounding me for the past decade about finding a partner, and I told her that I have one to shut her up.” 

“Oh not to worry Miss Mills,” Emma said. “I’ll ask Ashley and Ruby if they knew of anyone that can go with you, and if not, Kijiji probably has some people on there that-”

“Actually,” Regina interrupted. “I was wondering if you would come with me.” 

Emma glanced up from her notepad. “Me?” 

“Yes.” Oh my god, I hope I don’t sound too desperate, Regina thought. It was no question that she had feelings for Emma, and had ever since she had hired her six months ago. Everyone knew it from Leroy the janitor, to Belle the legal researcher, to Ashley and Ruby, the two young law clerks that happened to be Emma’s friends. Everyone knew, except for Emma herself. “You knew I was interested in women right?” 

She watched as Emma’s cheeks turned pinker, if that was even possible. “Of course. But, me? Are you sure Miss Mills?” 

“Are you busy this weekend?” Regina asked. She hadn’t even thought about that possibility when she had spent fifteen minutes in front of her bathroom mirror that morning rehearsing how to ask Emma. 

“No I’m free actually. But won’t your parents think it’s weird that you’re dating your assistant?” 

Regina smiled, hoping that she looked reassuring. “Not at all dear. They’ll just be happy that I’m dating someone at all.” The truth was that if she were dating someone with a higher position than she was in, her mother would balk about it. But she had never done that before. It was hard to do so when she owned her own law firm and was the head lawyer in it. 

“Oh alright,” Emma said. “Well then of course, I’d love to come.” 

“Wonderful,” Regina said, her smile growing wider. “I’d like to invite you over to my place for dinner tonight. Just to tell you about what my family is like and what you should expect when you meet them.” 

She watched as Emma nodded. “Alright. What time should I come and can I bring anything?” 

“Seven o’clock would be perfect. And no, just yourself,” Regina said. “My address is-”

“I know your address.” She looked up at the blonde and raised her eyebrows. “I mean, I know almost everything about you. I am your assistant after all.” 

“Yes of course, right,” she said, realizing how little she knew about Emma, save from the information that was on her Facebook. She could’ve done something about that, perhaps eating with her in the lunch room at noon. But she usually ate her lunch in her office to avoid embarrassing herself in front of Emma’s friends, who giggled and whispered about their boyfriends to Emma. 

“Well, I’d better go get started on the things you want me to do,” Emma said. She tucked her pen behind her ear and smoothed her skirt. “Thank you for the invitation Miss Mills.” 

“You’re certainly welcome, and Emma?” She waited for her to turn around. “Please call me Regina.”


	2. The Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posts will be happening on Saturdays from now on. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: The Dinner

“You remember you need to bring someone this weekend right sis? Or has The Evil Queen scared away all the potential people she’d like to bring?” 

Rolling her eyes, Regina placed her phone on speaker as she slipped on oven mitts to place the apple pie and lasagna into the oven. “Coming from The Wicked Witch of the West, that’s pretty funny.” 

“Ha ha,” Zelena said. “Mom and Dad have pretty much given up on me. You know my motto, ‘Love ‘em and leave ‘em.” 

Regina smiled, quickly chopping up some vegetables and dumping them into the wooden salad bowl in front of her. It was true. Zelena preferred one night stands to actual relationships, much to the dismay of their mother. But that was all Zelena wanted at the moment. She had always been the wild one out of the two of them. She was more likely to pierce her tongue or dye her hair blue than to settle down with someone and start a family. 

“So who are you bringing anyway?” Zelena continued. “Anyone I know?” 

“No. I’m actually bringing my assistant.” 

“WHAT?” Zelena screeched. “You mean Emily?! The one you’ve wanted to screw since you hired her?” 

“Her name is Emma,” she snapped. “And I didn’t want to screw her when I first hired her.” 

“No of course not, what was it again? Oh yes I remember. You fell in love with her eyes, saying they sparkled like emeralds. And her body, my god you said she was like a piece of art! And-”

“Oh my god shut up Zelena! You’re making me sound like I was head over heels in love with her.” 

“Well you are, aren’t you?” Zelena asked with a laugh. “Come on sis, you may be able to kid yourself, but you sure as hell can’t kid me. I’m your big sister.” 

“By two and a half years,” Regina muttered. She mixed together oil and some herbs, making a salad dressing that she poured over the salad. “Anyway, I have to go. I invited her over for dinner.” 

“Good lord Regina, it’s about bloody time!” Zelena said. “The Evil Queen and her sweet little princess, having a romantic dinner together. Or who knows? Maybe you’ll skip the dinner and get right to the good stuff.” 

“Jesus Christ Zelena, please don’t mention any of this when you meet her on Friday,” Regina said. 

“Of course not,” Zelena scoffed. “I don’t want Emma to know that you want to worship her body every time she walks into the room. Or that you stalk her on Facebook, or...” 

“Alright goodbye,” Regina said, half laughing and half groaning. 

“All jokes aside, I hope you have a good time tonight sis. You deserve it,” Zelena said sincerely. 

“Thanks.” Regina smiled, ending the call. The doorbell rang, startling her. She quickly went to check her appearance in the hall mirror, smoothing her hair and adjusting her black dress. Then she opened the door. 

“Emma!” She smiled. “Please come in.” 

Emma stepped into her home, holding a bottle of sparkling grape juice. “What a beautiful home Miss- uh I mean Regina,” she said. “Here, I brought this for us to have with dinner.” 

“How sweet of you dear, thank you. She trailed her eyes over Emma, noticing that she had changed into a red lace dress that had three quarter inch sleeves. Before she could remove her black heels, Regina placed a hand on her arm. “That’s alright, you can leave your shoes on.” 

She led Emma into the kitchen, placing the bottle of juice on the counter. Emma sniffed the air and smiled. “What did you make? It smells wonderful.” 

“Lasagna. It’s one of my favourite dishes to make. I made a salad to go with it, as well as an apple pie for dessert.” 

“Oh!” Emma touched her hand to her face. “I’m sorry Regina... I forgot to tell you. I’m allergic to apples.” 

“You are?” She asked. “I didn’t know that.” 

“I’ve had the allergy since I was six. Actually, this is kind of a funny story but the way I found out I was allergic was by playing Snow White in my school play. I took a bite of the apple, pretended to fall to the floor and then felt my throat close up.” 

“Oh my goodness! How scary,” Regina said. 

“I’ll say. Everyone who knows me from school still calls me Snow White as a joke,” Emma said. “Anyway, I’m so sorry about the pie. I’m sure it is delicious. I wish I could eat it.” 

“Not to worry Emma, I have plenty of ice-cream that we can have.” She moved toward the oven and took out the lasagna and pie. “I’ll give this pie to my friend Mal and her daughter Lily. And I’ll make sure to tell my mother not to use apples in her cooking this weekend. But she never does. In fact, I’m the only one in my family who likes apples.” 

Emma smiled, looking relieved. “Can I do anything to help?” 

“You can bring the salad out to the table. I’ve already set the plates and cutlery out,” Regina said. She took the lasagna and pie out of the oven. Together, they carried the food out to the dining room, where Regina placed the hot dish of pasta on pot holders and Emma laid the bowl of salad next to it. Going back to retrieve the bottle of sparkling juice, Regina popped the cap off and poured some in each of their glasses. 

She served Emma, liking the way that she held her plate out to her as if it was made of gold. She could feel a wetness between her legs and tried to compose herself. Her sister’s earlier words echoed in her head and she tried to push them out of her mind. 

“Oh Regina, this is delicious!” Emma said, biting into her lasagna and sighing happily. “I love lasagna.” 

“Thank you Emma. I’m happy you like it.” Regina took her own bite and tried to remember to breathe. She was actually having dinner with Emma. They were on a date! 

“So, how long will we be gone for? I just wanted to let my mother know I was going out of the city for a few days.” Emma took a sip of her juice, eyeing Regina intently. 

“We’ll leave Friday afternoon and come home Monday morning,” Regina said. “I’ve already booked our tickets to Manhattan, which is where my family lives.” 

“Oh!” Emma looked startled. “How much are they? I can pay you back when we come home.” 

“That’s not necessary dear, I insist on paying. After all, you are my partner now, right?” She asked, winking at her. 

Emma blushed. “Yes that’s true. Well thank you so much Regina! I appreciate it.” 

“Not a problem.” Regina lifted some salad onto her fork and placed it in her mouth. She felt herself beginning to relax and wanted to laugh at how nervous she had been on the drive home. 

“So who will I be meeting this weekend? What’s your family like?” 

“You’ll be meeting my father Henry, my mother Cora, and my sister Zelena,” she answered. 

“Oh one of my brother’s names is Henry,” Emma laughed. “And I didn’t know you had a sister.” 

“Actually, she’s my half sister... but details details,” Regina said. “That’s what she always says. She was two when our mother met my father. Her father abandoned them both shortly after she was born. But my father considers Zelena as his daughter.” 

“Oh that’s awful.” Emma focused on cutting a piece of lasagna and was silent for a moment. “But your father must be a good man to have accepted her as his own. Not many people do that.” 

“Yes he is,” Regina agreed, wondering what Emma meant by that. She didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable by asking, so she continued talking. “My father is quite laidback. He’s retired now, but before he was a psychologist. My mother is, well, not quite as laidback,” she chuckled. “I suppose they balance each other out. She’s an accountant. And my sister is quite wild. She’s a yoga instructor.” 

“Well, I look forward to meeting them all. How much older is she than you?” Emma asked. 

“Two and a half years.” 

“And how old are you Regina?” 

“Thirty-five. And you are twenty-five right, dear?” Regina winced, wishing she hadn’t asked Emma her age. Even though she knew it already, she didn’t want to come across as creepy or anything. 

“Yes. Um, do you think your family will be weirded out by our age difference? I mean, I’m not.” Emma said. 

“No no, I don’t think they will either,” Regina said. Or at least her mother and father wouldn’t. She knew Zelena would flip when she heard about their age difference. 

“Okay,” Emma said, smiling. Regina felt her heart flutter as she smiled back at the blonde. They looked at each other for a few more moments, and then Emma looked back down at her plate and took another bite. 

Regina took one also, trying not to make it obvious that she was staring at her breasts. “My mother may seem a bit overbearing at the beginning, but she’ll relax after a while. And like I said, my father will be laidback with you right away. I think it’s my sister you just need to be on the lookout for.” 

“Oh?” Emma laughed nervously. “Is she overprotective?” 

“Not exactly, she can be though. But she has this way of looking at people that can make them uncomfortable sometimes. So don’t take it personally. That’s just the way she is.” 

“I hope they’ll like me,” Emma said. Regina tilted her head and realized that Emma looked slightly nervous. “I really want them to like me. I don’t want them to look at me and see me as some pitiful assistant.”

“Oh no dear, they won’t! I’m sure they’ll like you just fine. And being an assistant isn’t pitiful. You are amazing at what you do, and I wouldn’t be half as successful without you.” 

“Thank you,” Emma said, blushing again. She started to say something, but then closed her mouth. 

“What?” Regina asked, tilting her head again. Do I have sauce on my face?”

“No. It’s just that...” Emma trailed off. She took a deep breathe and tried again. “We haven’t kissed yet, and I thought maybe we should practice. Just so we’ll look more natural at being a couple. You know, for your family. You don’t want them to think that you just asked me to come with you a few days ago. We want to look like we’ve been seeing each other for a little while. Right?” 

“Ah,” Regina said, nodding. She had thought of that as well, and had wanted to bring that up during dinner. She couldn’t help but secretly wonder if Emma really did want to kiss her. She hoped so. “That’s a great idea. Maybe we could practice cuddling too. I’m sure they’ll expect us to do that when we’re together. Did you have enough to eat, dear?” She noticed that Emma’s plate was empty and she was wiping her mouth with her napkin. 

“Yes I did, thank you.” Emma stood up, starting to clear the table. Regina followed with the rest of the dishes and placed them in the sink. “Follow me dear,” she said, walking into the living room. 

She heard Emma’s heels click behind her, and she sat down on the couch and removed her shoes, tucking her feet underneath her. Glancing up at Emma, she opened her arms and beckoned her into them. 

Emma blushed again, looking down at her feet. 

“Come on dear, I don’t bite,” Regina said, chuckling. Emma continued to turn pink and sat down beside her. She tucked her arms around her waist and pulled her closer, spooning the blonde from behind. 

“Relax Emma, has it been that long since you’ve cuddled with someone?” Regina purred into her ear, shifting her slightly so that her she could look into Emma’s eyes as she spoke. 

“It has actually,” Emma shivered, and Regina quickly tightened her arms around her. “It’s just that this is the first time I’ve cuddled with my boss.” 

“Well it certainly won’t be the last time,” Regina chuckled. “I hope you don’t mind being the little spoon?” 

“No it’s fine. I actually prefer being the little spoon,” Emma said. “And I knew right before we even sat down that you enjoy being the big spoon.”

She did. She liked being the big spoon because she didn’t like the idea of someone towering over her. 

“You thought right. Now, about that kiss,” she said. 

Emma turned red. “Oh, right. Um... Well, I guess we just... kiss, right?” 

“Right.” Regina swallowed, suddenly feeling like the world had stopped spinning around them. She bent her head towards Emma’s and lowered her lips onto hers as if it were the most natural thing in the world. 

And it certainly felt like it. Emma’s lips were soft and velvety, like a rose. She felt Emma’s arms slip around her shoulders, drawing her closer. Regina placed her hands on either side of the blonde’s face, cupping her cheeks. Emma was a really good kisser. She’d clearly had practice. 

And as quickly as it happened, it was over. She wasn’t sure who had pulled away first, but she ran her fingers through Emma’s hair and smiled down at her. 

“Wow,” Emma said breathlessly. “That was... amazing. Thank you Regina.” 

She couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing. 

“What?” Emma asked, blushing. “Did I say something wrong?” 

“No dear,” she said, trying to compose herself. “You’re just so sweet, thanking me for a kiss.” 

“Oh,” Emma said, smiling. “Well, I’m a very polite person I guess.” 

“Yes you are,” Regina purred. “And I love that about you.” She froze, realizing she had just admitted to Emma that she loved her. 

But Emma didn’t realize what she said. “My mother is a stickler for manners. She taught me well I guess.” 

“Mhmm,” she agreed. “So, tell me more about you Emma. What should I know about you, other than the fact that you are allergic to apples?” Absentmindedly, she began to stroke Emma’s back. 

“Well,” Emma seemed to think. “My middle name is Swan. I don’t think you knew that, did you?” 

“No I didn’t, but I like it. Emma Swan Charming. It has a nice ring to it,” Regina said. “Where did your parents come up with that?” 

“On the day my mother found out she was pregnant with me, she saw a swan flying in the sky and took that to be some sort of a sign. So naturally, she had to make that my middle name.” 

“That’s interesting!” Regina said, and it was. She found it neat that that had happened to Emma’s mother. 

“Thanks. What’s your middle name?” Emma asked. 

“Marie. It was my great-grandmother’s name,” she answered. 

“Regina Marie Mills,” Emma said out loud. “That’s pretty.” 

Regina smiled. “So what else is there to know about you Emma?” 

“Well, I like to sing, I love eating sushi, and I was a dancer for many years. I took ballet and pointe.” 

That explained Emma’s gracefulness. She enjoyed watching Emma float around the office, much like a swan in fact. “Did you? That’s fascinating. And perhaps I could hear you sing sometime, dear.” 

“Maybe,” Emma said, blushing again. Regina watched as she laid back against the sofa. She did too, absentmindedly stroking Emma’s hair, thinking about how she never wanted the evening to end. 

*****  
“Well how was it? Tell me everything. Is she good in bed?” Zelena asked. 

Regina placed her phone on her bathroom counter and put her hair up into a bun. She began to take her makeup off. 

“We didn’t have sex. Jesus Zelena,” Regina shook her head. “Is that the only thing on your mind?” 

“Pretty much, but we’re not talking about me right now. We are talking about you. Please tell me you at least kissed her,” Zelena said. 

“I did.” 

“And?” 

“Oh my god,” Regina said. “It was amazing. She’s a really good kisser.” 

“Not surprising, since I pretty much know what her lips look like and feel like. I could’ve told you that myself. Did she enjoy your cooking?” 

“Yes, although we couldn’t have the pie. She’s allergic to apples.” 

There was silence. 

“Zelena? Are you still there?” 

“ALLERGIC TO BLOODY APPLES? You’ve got to be bloody kidding me,” Zelena said, howling with laughter in the background. 

“Am I supposed to guess what exactly is so funny about that?” Regina asked. She finished removing her eye makeup and then moved on to her blush. 

“Can’t you put two and two together Regina? Snow White is allergic to apples too!” 

“No she isn’t. Technically, that was a poisoned apple she bit into.” 

“Oh same bloody thing practically. Oh my god don’t you see this? She’s the Snow White to your Evil Queen!” Zelena exclaimed. “My god, this is a match made in heaven practically. Except for your love of apples. I don’t know what you’re going to do when you move in together.” 

“Put your brakes on for a moment, it’s been ONE day that we’ve been seeing each other and I don’t even know if you could call it that. She’s doing me a favour.” She paused as she began to wash her face. “Although at this rate, I could definitely see myself giving up apples for her.” 

“Oh god, all this talk about apples is going to make me hurl. I hate them, especially the red ones. They’re just too sweet for me,” Zelena said. 

“Yeah, sweet and blonde,” Regina said dreamily. Then she realized she had said that out loud. “Oops I-”

“Well, that’s a different kind of apple than the one I was thinking of,” Zelena said, chuckling. 

“I can’t believe I just said that out loud.” 

“Oh I can. Regina darling, you’re in love.” 

As Regina finished the rest of her face routine, she realized Zelena was right. She was in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time, Emma meets Regina’s family, Emma receives a gift from Zelena, and Zelena continually embarrasses the hell out of Regina.


	3. Meet the Family

Chapter 3: Meet the Family 

“Zelena should be here any moment,” Regina said to Emma, as they collected their suitcases. “I’ll check my phone to see if she’s called or texted me.” 

They had just gotten off the plane fifteen minutes ago. The hour and a half flight from Washington to Manhattan was uneventful, but she still enjoyed spending the time with Emma and had loved how comfy and close the seats were to each other. That meant that any time Emma turned or shifted in her seat, Regina felt her elbow nudge hers or her blonde ponytail whip against her face. After spending the first twenty minutes playing Twenty Questions, Emma had dozed off, her head resting against Regina’s shoulder. Regina had tried not to move for the rest of the flight, not wanting Emma to wake up and move her head. Luckily, she didn’t move until they landed.

“Oh!” Emma had startled awake and looked up at Regina. “I’m sorry.” 

Regina had just smiled and shrugged, pretending like it hadn’t bothered her when inside, she was humming with joy. She had considered snapping a picture and sending it to Zelena, but then she thought better of it. 

“It’s alright,” Emma said now. “I need to use the restroom-”

“There you are my little lovebirds!” 

Regina winced, hoping beyond hoping that that voice didn’t belong to who she thought it did. But of course, that would be like hoping that someday pigs could fly. She turned and saw her sister coming towards them, red curls flying all over the place. 

“Hello Regina!” Zelena said, pulling her into a hug. “You’re looking absolutely lovely! I hope the flight was alright.” She released her and then turned to Emma. “And you must be Emma! Oh my gosh, you are bloody gorgeous!” 

Zelena pulled Emma in for a hug as well, and Emma squealed from the sudden contact. “Thanks,” Emma said, her voice muffled by Zelena’s shoulder. “Um, I need to use the restroom if that’s okay-”

“Why of course darling! Nature calls, does it not?” Zelena laughed. Regina shot Emma what she hoped was an apologetic look, and pulled her sister off to the side. 

“Wow, fresh meat huh Regina? She’s so innocent looking! Look at those big doe eyes!” Zelena exclaimed. 

“Would you please lower your voice?” She hissed, jabbing her sister in the side. “Fresh meat? What the hell? Are you the big bad wolf or something?” 

“Oh relax, would you? I’m not going to eat her up or anything. But she’s really a lovely little thing. Good job,” Zelena said. She pulled her phone out and held it up.

“What are you doing?” 

“I’m getting ready to take a picture of her when she comes out. Hope you don’t mind.” 

“What?!?! No!” She tried to wrestle the phone out of Zelena’s hand, but since Zelena was taller, it was easily held out of her reach. “Oh for gods sake. Fine, but you had better not have the flash on...” 

“Of course not,” Zelena scoffed. Seeing Emma walking towards them, her sister snapped a quick picture and then put her phone back in her pocket. “Are we good to head back to the house now?” 

“That would be wonderful,” Regina said, wrapping an arm around Emma and taking Emma’s suitcase with the other. “Be a dear and grab my suitcase, would you sis?” 

Then with a wink at Emma, she began leading her towards the doors that led to the parking lot and ignored her sister behind them. 

*****

“What a beautiful home,” Emma exclaimed, as they pulled into the driveway. 

Zelena cut the engine and pulled the keys out. “She’s a real beauty alright. And I don’t just mean the house.” 

Emma looked confused, and Regina glared at her sister through the rear view mirror. “You’ll have to excuse my sister. She talks funny sometimes.” 

Zelena rolled her eyes and climbed out of the car. “Here Emma, I’ll carry your suitcase. I think Regina can carry hers this time.” 

Emma giggled at the face Regina made at Zelena’s back. Then she quickly pulled Emma in for a kiss before grabbing her luggage. “Scared off yet?” 

“Not at all. Your sister seems nice... although she keeps looking at me like she wants to eat me up or something.” 

“I told you dear, don’t take it personally,” she said, as they walked up the driveway and up the stairs. “Trust me, my parents won’t be half as bad.” 

Reaching for Emma’s hand and giving it a squeeze, they walked in the door. 

“Hi honey!” Her mother greeted, coming into the foyer and taking her suitcase from her hand. “Welcome home.” Cora wrapped her arms around her and squeezed. Pulling back, she smiled at Emma. “You must be Emma! It is a pleasure to meet you.” 

“It’s lovely to meet you too Mrs. Mills,” Emma said politely, shaking her hand. 

“Oh call me Cora please,” her mother laughed. “Henry? Are you coming to say hello?” 

“Coming coming,” Regina heard her father say, and a second later he appeared. 

“Daddy!” She squealed. 

“Come here Regina. Oh I’ve missed you so much,” he said. He hugged her too and then glanced at Emma with a smile. “Emma, it’s nice to meet you.” 

“You as well,” Emma answered, giving him her hand to shake too. 

“We’re going upstairs to unpack our things, and then we’ll come down and visit with you guys for a bit,” Regina said, picking up her suitcase and gesturing for Emma to follow her. 

“Alright dear. Emma, I think Zelena placed your suitcase in the bedroom already,” Cora said. 

“Okay,” Emma smiled. They headed up the stairs and Zelena greeted them with a smile. 

“Ah, there you are. Emma, I wanted to give you this,” her sister said, handing her a bag from Victoria Secret.

“Oh thanks,” Emma said, looking confused. 

“Seriously Zelena? What is this?” Regina asked. 

“It’s in case you guys wanted to have a little fun this weekend. And don’t deny it Regina, I know purple’s your favourite colour, but I thought you might like seeing your girlfriend in this,” Zelena said. “It might suit your fancy more.” With a toss of her hair, she went back downstairs. 

“Seriously,” Regina muttered, pulling her suitcase and Emma into her room and shutting the door. “I could kill her right now.” 

“Hey, she gave me a gift! That’s the first time my significant other’s siblings have done something like that,” Emma said, smiling. She placed the bag on the bed and pulled out a Snow White lingerie dress and matching panties. The dress itself was blue, complete with the signature puffed sleeves, and the panties were yellow and were decorated with little red bows. 

“Wow!” Emma said, turning it over in her hands. “I’ve never seen something like this before.” 

“Oh you don’t have to wear it or anything,” Regina reassured her. “My sister is just crazy, that’s all.”

“No, I kind of like it,” Emma said. “Snow White was actually my favourite princess growing up.” Then she laughed. “Maybe I’ll try it on.” 

“Okay dear, you do that. Meanwhile, I’m going to have a little chat with my sister.” She gave Emma a smile before she left, pulling the door shut behind her. She crossed the hallway and burst into Zelena’s room, throwing the door open.

“Good lord, I see some things never change. Haven’t you heard of knocking first?” Zelena asked. She was laying on her bed, flipping through a magazine.

“Okay, what is up with that lingerie dress?” She hissed. “Are you out of your mind?” 

“Oh that.” Her sister put down her magazine and sat up. “Genius isn’t it? I thought it would be perfect for your little princess. She’ll look adorable in it, don’t you think?” 

Regina’s face reddened. She knew Emma would, but that was besides the point. “How did you know that would even fit her?” 

“You forget that I worked at that lingerie place in high school,” Zelena said. “I’ve gotten quite good at guessing women’s breast sizes, not to mention their clothing size. And Emma has tons of pictures on her Facebook that show her chest. It was quite easy to tell she’s an A.” 

Regina crossed her arms and glared at her sister. Zelena smiled at her and went back to her magazine. “I’m sure you’ll thank me one day sis, you just don’t know it yet.” 

Turning on her heels, she turned and slammed Zelena’s door shut. She went back to her bedroom and her mouth dropped open when she saw Emma. 

She was wearing the lingerie dress and panties. The bra part fit perfectly over her breasts, and the dress flowed down Emma’s waist, hugging her curves in all the right places. The panties fit beautifully on her too. “Wow,” she managed to say. “It looks great on you.” 

“Thanks,” Emma said, turning around in the mirror and admiring the back of herself. “I don’t usually wear things like this, but I actually kind of like this dress. It’s cute.” 

Regina didn’t comment, knowing that anything she said would make her sound like she was in love with the way it looked on Emma’s body. Instead, she unzipped her suitcase and began pulling out her clothes. “You can use the lower drawers to put your clothes in dear.” 

She nearly leaped out of her skin when she felt Emma’s hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?” Emma asked, sounding concerned. “You look tense.” 

Regina sighed and sat down on her bed. “It’s just Zelena. She drives me crazy sometimes.”

Emma sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around her. “All siblings do. Be lucky you only have one. My brothers can be annoying too.” 

She moved her own arms around Emma and placed a kiss on her head. She felt a lot more calm now with her beside her. “I suppose you’re right dear.” She smiled at Emma as she stood up and began taking off the lingerie dress. “Oh, do you want me to turn around?” 

“No, it’s fine,” Emma reassured. She shimmied out of the dress and pulled on her t-shirt. “Your parents are really nice.” 

Regina laid back on the bed, pretending that she wasn’t totally checking Emma out. “Be prepared. I’m sure my mother’s questions will start at dinner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Zelena :’) 
> 
> In the next chapter, Emma has dinner with Regina and her family and tells them her secret. Picks up right where we left off.


	4. The Secret

Chapter 4: The Secret

“So,” Cora started brightly, cutting into her piece of meatloaf. “How long have you been dating each other?” 

From across the table, Regina shot Emma a look. I told you so. 

“A few months,” Emma replied. 

“And how did the two of you meet?” 

Emma glanced at Regina, watching as the brunette nodded. “I uh, actually, I’m her assistant.” 

There was a pause as Cora started. Recovering quickly, she smiled. “Well! Is that so? And tell me Emma, is Regina a strict boss?” 

“Does she, like, take the lead in the bedroom? Oops, I mean office,” Zelena said slyly. 

Regina kicked her sister under the table. Hard. “Ow!” Zelena cried. 

“No she’s not strict at all. In fact, she’s the nicest boss I’ve ever had actually. My last one would get really mad if I asked any questions. And he had a bad temper.” Looking up at Regina, she smiled at her. “Regina’s the best.” 

Regina felt herself glowing inside. Until Zelena said “My my Regina, who would’ve thought The Evil Queen had a softness for blondes.” 

Regina glared at her as Cora smiled at Emma. “You’ll have to excuse my daughters. They call each other The Evil Queen and The Wicked Witch of the West as a joke.” 

“Yeah, because when Regina was in high school she played The Evil Queen in Snow White,” Zelena said. “And when I was in high school, I played The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. She smiled that predatory smile again and Emma felt herself shiver. “And naturally, the nicknames just kind of stuck.” 

“I always wondered why everyone calls you The Evil Queen behind your back,” Emma said to Regina thoughtfully. 

Regina raised her eyebrows playfully. “Well, now you know dear.” 

They all laughed and Henry took a sip of wine and cleared his throat. “So what’s your family like Emma? As crazy as ours?”

Emma got quiet as she shoved a forkful of potatoes into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed. “Actually, my family’s kind of complicated.” 

“Ooohh family drama, do tell,” Zelena said, her eyes lighting up. 

“Zelena!” Regina hissed. Although she had to admit she was intrigued to hear about Emma’s family too.

“No it’s fine.” Emma took a sip of wine, buying some more think time before she began. “Well, my father actually isn’t my father. “He’s... oh my god this is gonna sound insane, but he’s my uncle.” 

A quietness settled over the table. Cora looked confused. “What do you mean?” 

“Well, my father David had a twin named James. They were identical twins. So this one time we were visiting my Uncle James I was about seven. My mother was downstairs in the kitchen making dinner and I heard fighting coming from the guest room near mine. So I went to see what had happened and I saw my uncle holding a knife over my father, blood dripping down. He had killed him. And I knew it was my uncle that was still alive, not my dad because my dad has a brown dot on the side of his face. A mole. And the man holding the knife didn’t have one. He told me that if I ever told anyone, he would kill me. So basically, my Uncle James has pretended to be my father David for the last twenty years.” Emma paused. “But he’s never acted like one.” 

A pin dropping could be heard in the kitchen, it was that quiet. Even Zelena didn’t have some snarky comment to say. 

Regina was stunned. Anything she had been imagining about Emma’s family, she hadn’t been expecting that. “But... how?” She managed to say. “Your mother couldn’t tell the difference between your father and your uncle?” 

“James drew a fake mole on his face with a brown permanent marker. And he redraws it everyday,” Emma said quietly. Suddenly, she stood up. “Excuse me.” 

She bolted from the room. Cora looked at Regina. “My goodness Regina. That is quite the family drama. Did you have any idea?” 

“No I didn’t.” 

“Maybe you should go check on her,” Zelena said. Regina was surprised that her sister actually looked concerned. 

Putting her fork down, Regina stood up and went upstairs. She found Emma curled up on her bed, head buried in her pillow. “Emma?” 

She heard a whimper and she felt her heart strings tug. She laid down behind her and wrapped her arms around her. 

For a few minutes, they sat together like that in silence. Emma seemed content to lay in her arms. When she heard her sniffling, she gently turned her so that she could see her face. 

“I’m sorry Regina,” Emma said. Tears ran down her cheeks. “I totally ruined dinner.” 

“No you didn’t.” She pressed a kiss to her forehead and wiped the tears away. “Oh my gosh Emma... I had no idea. I’m so sorry dear.” 

Emma pulled her pillow closer, clutching it to her chest. “This is the first time I’ve ever told anyone. I-It’s hard.” 

“I cannot even imagine something like that. And here I thought my family was crazy.” She hadn’t said it to be funny, but Emma hiccuped on a laugh. 

“I guess we all have skeletons in our closet hey? It just so happens that mine are more literal,” Emma sighed. 

“Can I ask you something? If it’s too difficult to answer, you don’t have to.” Regina wanted to find out more about what had happened to Emma’s father, but she didn’t want to make her more upset.

At Emma’s nod, she continued. “How come you never tried to tell anyone dear? That is quite the secret to keep to yourself all these years.” 

“I was a child, Regina. Who would believe me? And besides, I was so scared of my uncle’s warning. I knew he meant it.” 

“Well I believe you Emma. With all my heart.” Regina gently took Emma’s hair out of it’s ponytail, and began running her fingers through it soothingly. 

“Well, that means a lot. Coming from you,” Emma said. 

Regina smiled back. Emma’s lips were tempting right now, but she pushed that thought to the back of her mind for now. Her thoughts were turning in her head like wheels. “I’d really like to help you though. Like, to get justice for your father.”

“But how? I mean, it’s not like I have proof that my uncle killed him other than what I saw. It would be his word against mine.”

“Perhaps not any that comes to mind, but I’d really like to talk to your uncle. Maybe look through his things,” Regina said.

“Are you out of your mind? How would you pull that off?” Emma asked. She began to look worried. “What if he finds out I told you? What if he tries to hurt me?” 

She cupped Emma’s cheeks. “Listen to me Emma. I’m not going to let that happen, okay? He has held so much power over you for so long and it has to stop.” 

“Promise?” Emma asked, sounding like a little girl. 

Regina pressed a kiss to her lips. “I promise dear.” 

Emma grinned. “Wow, I had no idea you liked me this much Regina.” 

Startled, Regina could feel her cheeks burning. “You-you knew? Since when?” 

“Oh come on. I hear people talking at work. I hear what they say,” Emma smiled. “I knew that you were checking me out whenever I took notes on my notepad.” 

Regina laughed nervously. “It was that obvious?” 

“Yes it was.” 

“So then how come you never called me out on it?” Regina asked. 

“Because honestly, I was a bit shy. I could never muster up the courage to.” Emma laughed. “And when I would drop off your dry cleaning, I would spend like fifteen minutes in the car inhaling your scent from the clothes. You smell soooo good Regina.” 

Regina raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Oh? Is that why you were breathing in the scent of my pillow when I came in here?” 

Emma nodded. “You have such a calming smell. Apples, lavender, and...” 

“Vanilla.” It was one of her signature perfume scents. She held her arms out and Emma laid her head on her chest. 

“Oh,” Emma inhaled. “So good.” 

Regina chuckled. Then she turned serious for a minute. “I meant what I said earlier. I don’t want you to worry about this. Let me look into things okay?” 

Emma nodded. “Okay,” she whispered. 

“That’s my sweet girl,” she purred. She took Emma’s face in her hands and pressed her lips onto hers. She could feel her heart beating against the blonde’s. 

They continued to kiss until they heard the door swing open. “Good lord, it’s getting hot in here!” 

Pulling back, Regina glared at her sister. “Zelena! What the hell?” 

“Hey you never knock when you come into my room,” she said, shrugging. She tossed her red curls. “Dessert is ready if you two would like some. Although I’d say that things are getting pretty sweet in here.” 

“We’ll come down in a minute,” Emma said, laughing. 

“Alright lovebirds,” Zelena answered. She continued to watch them. 

“Zelena! Could we have a moment?” Regina asked.

“Oh! My bad. Toodles!” Zelena said. With a smirk, she walked away. 

“My god,” Regina moaned, burying her head in her hands. “What the hell did I do to deserve a sister like that,” she muttered. She turned back to Emma. “Where were we?” 

Emma’s lips locked back onto hers. Regina’s arms came around Emma’s waist as they continued to kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Was the secret anything like you guys were expecting? 😛
> 
> Next time, Regina has a serious talk with Zelena and with a fellow co-worker.


	5. Heart To Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I realize that Emma’s secret is something that wouldn’t normally happen in real life (because really, it’s pretty messed up) but there will be more clarity in the coming chapters. Hang in there :)

Chapter 5: Heart To Heart 

If anyone thought that Emma’s confession at dinner would make things awkward for the rest of the weekend, they thought wrong. Regina made it clear that anyone who brought up that conversation with Emma and make her upset would pay dearly. 

After she came downstairs after having a much needed shower; she had needed to do some thinking, she was glad to see that her mother was in the kitchen washing the dishes from supper and her father was teaching Emma how to play Crazy Eights. Zelena, mercifully, was nowhere to be found. 

“Basically, the object of the game is to try to be the first one to get rid of all of your cards,” her father was explaining. He looked up as she approached them. “Ah, maybe you’d like to join us Regina?”

“Maybe later Daddy,” she answered. She bent down and kissed Emma’s cheek. “Would you like to go shower now dear? I’ll come find you after.” 

“Okay,” Emma agreed. She stood up from where she was sitting on the couch. “Thank you for teaching me how to play, Henry.” 

Regina watched as Emma headed upstairs. She turned back to her father. “Any idea where Zelena went?” 

“I think she’s upstairs.” 

Nodding, she headed up and stood outside her sister’s door. She was about to barge in like she usually did, but hesitated. Instead, she brought her hand up and knocked. 

The door opened and Zelena stood there in a face mask and pyjamas. “Well, to what do I owe the honour? Where’s your princess?” 

“In the shower. I uh, wanted to know if we could talk,” she said. 

Zelena stepped aside, indicating that she could come in. She closed the door and hopped up onto the bed. 

Zelena took a seat across from her. “So, that was quite the confession at dinner.” 

“Yeah no kidding.” Regina picked at a thread on the quilt. She began telling her sister about her plan, about bringing Emma’s uncle to justice. 

When she was finished, Zelena laid down on her back and closed her eyes. “Aren’t those kind of cases supposed to be complicated? Especially since so much time has passed?” 

“They can be, but not if you can find some sort of proof,” Regina explained. “James must have something.” 

“Like what? A diary entry from that day where he wrote down his plans to murder his brother?” Zelena scoffed. “Let’s get real Regina. It’s not like he’ll have the knife he used wrapped up in a cloth in his underwear drawer or something. This guy obviously has his wits if he’s managed to pull this off for over two decades. What about the body? Where do you think he hid that?” 

“I know.” She groaned and laid on her back as well and covered her face. “And I don’t know about the body. I’ll have to ask Emma about that later. I don’t want to upset her more right now.” She sighed. “I know this is going to be difficult, but I have to try. For Emma.” 

“Hang on.” Zelena sat up and looked down at her. “What’s this really about? Getting justice and locking this guy up, or being Emma’s hero?” 

“Justice of course.” The longer her sister gazed at her, the redder her cheeks were turning. “Alright fine. I do kind of want to be the one to help Emma get rid of this nightmare. It’s been going on far too long.” 

“It is noble of you, I’ll say that much.” She waited for Zelena to smirk at her, but her face remained blank. “I just want you to know that Emma’s not going to love you any less if you can’t fix this.” 

“I know that Zelena.” 

“Good.” The two sisters looked at each other. Then Regina realized what was just said. “Wait, you think... you think she really loves me?” 

“Hell yeah! You should see the way she looks at you. Honestly, since you’re my sister it’s a little nauseating. But it’s like you’ve put the stars in the bloody sky or something. I’ve never seen anyone look at someone else like that.” Then she paused. “Wait, actually I have.” 

“Who?” 

“Mom and Dad.” 

“Really?” She asked. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Wow.” 

“Do I hear wedding bells anytime soon?” Zelena teasingly asked. 

“Not anytime soon,” Regina said. “But maybe one day.” 

*****

To Regina’s dismay, the weekend went by far too quickly. As soon as she knew it, her and Emma were flying back to Washington. The plane ride had been quiet, and her and Emma had been content not to talk for the most part. Until Emma had turned to her right before they landed. 

“Now that the weekend is over, does this mean we’re finished dating?” She looked worried. 

Regina laughed and pulled her closer. “Of course not dear! You’re mine now.” Then she herself looked worried. “You- you still want to date me right?” 

“Hell yeah!” Emma said, a little too loudly. Her face reddened as a few people glanced over at them. She lowered her voice. “I want to do more than date. I want to be your girlfriend.” 

“Then your wish is my command, princess. My girlfriend you shall be.” She cupped Emma’s cheeks and they kissed as their plane gently landed.

Now, she sat in her office, not getting much work done at all. This morning had been a little awkward. Emma had slipped and called her Miss Mills a few times, and Regina finally said she was fine with her calling her by her first name, even though they were at work. Then in the bathroom, she’d found the blonde touching up her makeup. She’d snuck up on her and wrapped her arms around her, kissing her neck, and Emma had shrieked, getting lipstick on Regina’s forehead. She smiled at the memory, remembering how worried Emma had looked, thinking she’d be mad. Instead, she had taken the lipstick out of Emma’s hand and drawn a heart on her cheek. 

She watched as Emma sat at her computer outside her office, typing away. Occasionally she’d look up at Regina and catch her eye, smiling. Regina would always smile back, but each time she would attempt to get back to work, she found herself getting distracted by Emma tucking a strand of hair behind her ear or adjusting her blouse. 

“Regina?” 

“Oh!” She started, knocking her coffee cup with her arm and soaking the front of her blazer. “Shoot.” She looked up, seeing Kathryn. 

“I’ll go get some napkins,” Kathryn reassured and hurried out of her office. When she came back, she helped her clean up. 

“Thanks,” Regina said, shrugging out of her blazer. “I need to dry clean this anyway.” 

“Are you alright? You looked like you were miles away just now.” 

“Of course,” Regina said hurriedly. “Just thinking.” 

“Mhmm.” Kathryn eyed Emma outside the office, then went to close the door. “So what’s this I hear about you and Miss Charming being an item now?” 

“Where’d you hear that from?” She was surprised. She hadn’t told anyone about what had happened that weekend, and as far as she knew, neither had Emma. 

“Mal saw you guys kissing in the bathroom. You know how big her mouth is. I heard it from Leroy, who heard it from Ashley and Ruby, who heard it from Belle, who heard it from-”

“Okay okay I get it,” Regina said. “Yes it’s true, she is my girlfriend.” 

“How did that happen?” Kathryn asked, sitting across from her and winking. “Just last week, you couldn’t muster a single sentence in front of her!” 

“Very funny.” Regina glanced out at Emma again, who was walking over to the printer. “I asked her to accompany me to my parent’s place this weekend. You know how my mother’s been breathing down my neck about finding a partner. So I asked Emma.” 

“And?” 

“And... well, at first it was just kind of for show. I had no idea she felt the same way about me. But she admitted that she was too shy to tell me how she felt.” 

“Aw isn’t that sweet.” Kathryn smiled. “Well I’m happy for you Regina. You deserve happiness in your life.” 

“Thank you,” Regina answered absentmindedly. 

Kathryn tilted her head. “What did your family think of her?” 

“Oh, they adored her.” 

“Then how come you look so troubled?” 

Kathryn listened quietly as Regina told her about Emma’s family. “Wow.” She watched Kathryn take a peek out at Emma, who was busy typing away again. “That is some secret.” She shook her head. “Poor girl.” 

“I know. I want to help her.” 

“You want to what?!” Kathryn repeated. 

“You heard me. Listen, call me crazy, call me insane... whatever. But I would love to help Emma put this past her and the only way to do that is to put this cruel uncle of hers in prison.” 

“Oh Regina. You know Emma is not going to think any less of you if you don’t catch him,” Kathryn said sympathetically. 

“Yes I know that. But I have to try Kathryn. For Emma.” It was the same thing she had said to her sister. If she never tried, how would she know if it was possible or not? 

Kathryn gave a small smile. “I think it can be done. But you will need to tread carefully. This kind of scenario is rare, but it can happen. And you know I’ll help you as best as I can. Mal will too.” 

“As long as she can keep her mouth shut.” But she was smiling. Mal meant well. 

“Want me to fill her in?” 

She paused. “Not just yet. I’d like to keep this between the two of us for now. As I proceed through this case, I may need her help too.” 

Kathryn nodded. She began to walk to the door of the office. “Oh Regina? I think I’d call you a fighter. You’re fighting for the one you love.” 

Regina smiled. She agreed. She was fighting for Emma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time, Regina and Emma have dinner with Emma’s family and things heat up between our two ladies ;)


	6. The Plan in Action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So just as a reminder because the dinner scene coming up may be a bit confusing: David is Emma’s father, James is her uncle. James is pretending to be David. He will be referred to as David (however, Regina and Emma refer to him as James when they are alone). 
> 
> And also, I apologize if the minor sex scene in this is awkward 😅 it was my first time writing one.

Chapter 6: The Plan in Action 

Regina drove, maneuvering the car around a cul-de-sac when she glanced at Emma. The blonde looked as if she were heading to her execution. She reached over, placing a hand on her knee. “Relax dear. It’s going to be fine.” 

They were heading to Emma’s family’s place for dinner. “How can you say that? It’s not going to be fine.” Emma moaned, covering her face with her hands. “Why did I let you talk me into this?” 

“Because eventually I need to meet your family sometime. We are together now, after all. And besides, it’s the first step in putting this plan into action.” She squeezed her shoulder. “I need to begin smooth talking James up to see what kind of a guy he is. Kind of like trapping a mouse into a corner.” 

She watched as Emma fought back a laugh. “You better not accidentally call him that.” 

“Of course not Emma. I’ll be careful.” The two of them were silent for a few moments, listening to the sound of rain hitting the car. “Honestly, tonight’s going to be the easy part.” 

“Do I want to know what the hard part will be?” Emma asked hesitantly. 

“You don’t need to worry about that yet. Let’s take this one step at a time okay?” She glanced at Emma again, seeing that she had turned as white as a ghost. “Oh Emma, it’ll be okay. I promise.” 

“What if he finds out what we’re up to and hurts me?” Emma whimpered. “Or worse, goes after you?” 

“I’m not going to let him hurt you dear, I promise you that. And as for me, I’ll be fine. I’ve dealt with my share of criminals and shady individuals in my past. I’m a lawyer, remember?” 

They pulled into the driveway and Regina turned the engine off. She looked at her girlfriend. “Ready?” 

Emma hesitated, but she nodded, leaning over to kiss Regina on the cheek. “With you here, I am.” 

Smiling, she got out of the car and opened up her umbrella. Going over to Emma’s side, she opened her door and held it over her as well. Together, they walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. 

A little boy with brown hair and eyes that looked just like Emma’s answered. “Mommy! Emma’s here!” 

They heard the sound of footsteps running. “Neal! What did I say about opening the door without me here? That could’ve been a stranger!” 

“Sorry.” The boy snuck a glance at his sister, who bent down and stuck her tongue out. Giggling, he made a funny face too. 

“Hi sweetheart, come on in!” A woman with short brown hair and fair skin opened the door. “Oh Emma it’s so good to see you!” 

“Hi Mom. Hi Neal,” Emma said. She accepted a hug from her mother and then bent down to swing her brother around. 

“And you must be Regina.” Brown eyes met hers. “I’m Mary Margaret, Emma’s mother. It’s lovely to meet you at last.”

“Likewise.” Regina slipped her shoes off and smiled in gratitude when Mary Margaret offered to take her coat. “What a beautiful home.” 

“Oh that’s so sweet of you to say. Please come in. Dinner is just about ready.” 

Mary Margaret led them into the living room, where a man and a teenaged boy were playing a video game. 

“Score! I won Dad!” The boy shouted, pumping his fist in the air. 

“This time. Next time, I’ll get you back.” The man stood up, setting his game controller on the coffee table. “Hey Emma. How’s it going?” 

“Fine,” Emma answered, managing a smile. She turned to Regina. “Dad, this is Regina. Regina, this is my father, David.” 

Regina noticed that Emma’s voice wavered a bit over the word father. She smiled and held out her hand. “David, a pleasure to meet you. I see now where Emma gets her good looks from.” 

David laughed and shook it. “Nice of you to say. Emma, this one’s a charmer huh?” 

Emma smiled. “And this is Henry, my other brother.” 

Henry stuck out his hand. “Great to meet you, Regina! I’ve heard lots about you.” 

“I’ve heard lots about you as well,” she smiled. 

“Dinner’s ready!” Mary Margaret yelled from the kitchen. 

After a few moments of everyone scrambling to get to their seat, the food was passed around. “This looks delicious Mom,” Emma said. “Regina loves lasagna.” 

“Oh I’m so glad,” Mary Margaret said, cutting Neal’s slice up for him. 

“You know, I have to say I wasn’t pleased when Emma told us she had a girlfriend. But you are a real stunner Regina. I’d date you if I could,” David said, waggling his eyebrows. 

“David!” Mary Margaret smiled apologetically at Emma and Regina. “I was always supportive of Emma, it didn’t matter to me whether she liked guys or girls. David had a harder time for a bit. But he’s coming around. He’s got an eye for pretty women.” 

“Oh honey, Emma knows I’m just teasing,” David said, winking at Regina. “I’ve only got eyes for you, Mary Margaret.” 

Regina tried not to grimace, as she exchanged a look with Emma. Emma shrugged. Clearly, she was used to this. 

“So Emma, how did you and Regina meet?” Henry asked. 

“I told you kid. Regina’s my boss.” Emma smiled at her. 

“Really?” Mary Margaret looked at her daughter. “I didn’t know that honey.” 

“I know it sounds a little weird, but honestly we have such a great relationship that sometimes I forget she’s my boss. But at work we are very professional with each other,” Emma said. 

Regina bit her lip to keep from laughing. She didn’t think she would call kissing in the bathroom professional. 

“Well, I think as long as the two of you are happy, that’s what should matter,” Henry said. 

“Well put my boy!” David reached over and clapped a hand on his son’s back. “He’s always good with words, just like his father.” 

Henry blushed as he shoved a piece of lasagna into his mouth. 

“One day I hope to find someone I love as much as you love Regina Emma,” Neal said shyly. 

“Aw I know you will one day,” Emma said, smiling at the boy. 

“Of course he will. He’s as handsome as his father,” David said. He snuck another glance at Regina and smiled. 

“Well enough about Emma and I!” Regina said. These comments from James were getting weird. It was time for her to put her plan into action. “How did you and Mary Margaret meet?” 

David didn’t even blink. “I was going to school to become a police officer, and I was taking this one class. What was it again honey? Psychology?” 

“Sociology.” Mary Margaret’s eyes gleamed. “It was our first year of university, and I was studying to become a social worker. And I saw this handsome guy across the room and he smiled this charming smile at me.” 

“Well how could I not? She was the most beautiful girl in the whole room.” David took a sip of water. “Anyway, the next day I sat next to her. A week later, I asked her out. And I proposed to her the night of our graduation.” 

“And we’ve been together ever since.” Mary Margaret said. 

“That’s so sweet!” Regina said. “True love at its finest huh?” 

“Absolutely. Oh Emma, speaking of true love... your father and I were thinking of going away for our anniversary. It’s coming up in a few weeks.” 

“Where are you guys going?” Emma asked. 

“We were thinking of Italy, or perhaps France,” David said. “We’d be gone for about a week or so. Would you mind staying with your brothers for that time?” 

“Oh she’d love to!” Regina said. At Emma’s startled look, she gave her a nod. 

“Well uh, sure I’d love to,” Emma echoed. She still looked a bit unsure. 

“And I can stay here with Emma too!” Regina added. “I love kids.” 

“Wonderful! Then it’s settled,” Mary Margaret said. She clapped her hands together happily. “Thank you so much, both of you.” 

“It’s not a problem,” Regina reassured. She took another bite of lasagna and asked Henry about school. Of course, David couldn’t resist jumping in and saying how Henry got his smarts from him. She caught Emma’s eye and sighed. It was going to be a long dinner. 

*****

“My goodness, your uncle is sure full of himself,” Regina commented on the drive home. 

Emma shifted in her seat. “Yeah, he’s always like that. Don’t take it personally.”

“How does your mother stand him? I didn’t think I was going to make it through dessert.” 

“Remember she thinks that she’s married to David,” Emma said. “Although in the seven years I knew my father, I can’t remember him acting this conceited. But anyway, besides my uncle... what did you think about the rest of my family?” 

“Your mother’s a sweetheart. I can see where you get your sweet nature from.” She smiled at the blush that creeped onto Emma’s cheeks. “And your brothers are adorable.” 

“Yeah they are.” They drove in silence for a few moments and then Emma turned to her. “How come you volunteered us right away for watching my brothers?”

“Because it’s the perfect opportunity to snoop around without your uncle and mother being there. Honestly, I was tickled pink when that opportunity came up. He’s making this much easier than I thought he would.” She turned and saw the look on Emma’s face. “What?” 

“Regina... I-I don’t know if I can do this,” Emma said. 

“What do you mean dear?” 

“I just... I don’t know if I can go through his stuff... What if, what if he found out?” Emma’s voice was beginning to sound shaky, and she could hear the strain it took to keep the tears inside her. 

“Emma, how would he find out? He will be away with your mother on their vacation. It’ll just be us at the house, and your brothers.” She tried to focus on the road ahead of them, but snuck another look at Emma and saw that tears were beginning to fill her eyes. “There’s nothing to be afraid of dear.” 

“I don’t want to risk anything! If he found out Regina, he would kill both of us and make it look like an accident!” Emma began full out sobbing. “I can’t risk that, I can’t! I can’t lose someone else I love because of him.” 

“Emma sweetheart...” 

But Emma wasn’t listening anymore. She buried her head in her hands, shoulders shaking. 

Regina’s heart felt heavy as she pulled the car to the side of the road. She hated seeing the woman she loved so upset. She opened her door and stepped out, then went around to Emma’s side. 

“Wha-”

“Shhh,” she murmured. She gently pulled Emma out of the passenger side and ushered her into the backseat. She got in behind her and then closed the door and locked it. She turned back to her girl and wrapped her arms around her.

They sat like that, Emma’s head buried against her chest. She hummed low in her throat and rubbed her back, listening as her cries turned into hiccups. After about ten minutes, she heard a sniffle and she looked down. 

Emma stared back up at her. A tear continued to fall down her cheek and Regina reached down and wiped it away. Cupping her face, she began to speak. 

“Now listen to me very carefully Emma. I want you to listen to this and take it to heart.” She waited for Emma to nod, and then she continued. “What your uncle did to you, your father, your family... was horrible. I would give my own arms if I could go back in time and stop him from killing your dad. But I can’t. The only thing I can do is to try to put him away for what he did. And to do that, I need to find evidence.” She saw Emma’s mouth begin to move, but she touched her finger to her lips. “Believe me when I say that your uncle is never going to find out about us going through his stuff. I know you’re scared about him finding out, but he won’t. We will be very careful. And it’s a step we need to take if we have a chance of getting justice. Right?” 

Emma swallowed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” 

“Secondly, you will not lose me. I am with you for life now. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.” A smile tugged at the corners of Emma’s mouth, and she stroked her cheek. “I’m The Evil Queen, remember? It’s extremely hard to cross me.” 

“I know,” Emma sighed. “It’s just, I love you so much Regina. I can’t bear the thought of something happening to you because you got involved with me.” 

“I love you too Emma, and nothing will happen. I promise. I need you to trust me. Do you?” Regina asked. 

“With my life.” 

“Good.” She kissed her forehead. “Now let’s go home and make some tea.” 

“Okay,” Emma agreed. She kissed Regina back, and then she opened the door and went around to the passenger side. 

Twenty minutes later, her and Emma were sitting on the couch with steaming mugs of chamomile tea beside them. Emma took a sip of hers and closed her eyes. “You always put the right amount of honey in mine.” 

Regina smiled and took a sip as well. “Honey for my honey,” she joked. 

Emma giggled and leaned back against her. Regina put her mug down and began to massage Emma’s shoulders. She heard a sigh and felt her girlfriend completely relax. “Man, that feels good. I swear, if you weren’t a lawyer, you could totally be a masseuse.” 

“Does it feel good because I’m the one doing it? Or does it feel good because you actually like massages?” Regina teased. 

Emma paused. “Oh, um... well, maybe both?” 

“I have a feeling it’s more of the former.” She moved Emma’s hair to the side and kissed the back of her neck. She trailed kisses over her jawline and then moved Emma’s face so she could reach her lips. 

“Well, that escalated quickly,” Emma said. 

“Shhh. Let me kiss you.” 

“You’ll have to catch me first!” Emma said playfully, her eyes gleaming. She was about to hop off the couch and go running into the kitchen, fully anticipating that Regina would chase her, but before she could move, Regina’s arms wrapped around her. “Hey!” 

“What was that dear?” Regina asked, a smirk in her voice. She began to cover Emma’s face with kisses. 

Emma shrieked, and began to dissolve in her arms. Regina laughed and tangled her fingers in her hair. 

“I have a feeling things are about to get physical,” Emma whispered. “Maybe we should move to the bedroom?” 

“I thought you’d never ask.” Regina stood up, then she reached down and scooped Emma into her arms. 

Emma gasped from the sudden contact. Heading up the stairs, she entered her room and flipped on the lights. She gently placed Emma on the bed. She lifted her blouse over her head and threw it across the room, revealing a black bra.

“Well, what are you waiting for dear?” Regina asked teasingly.

Emma blushed and then pulled her dress over her shoulders. She raised her eyebrows playfully at Regina, showing off the Snow White lingerie dress she was wearing. 

“What the-” Regina stammered. “Why are you wearing that?” 

“Because when I got dressed this morning, I had a feeling you might invite me over after dinner. And I thought I should wear this just in case we got in the mood. And, I thought I should get some wear out of it. After all, your sister bought it for me.” 

“You sneaky little thing.” Regina pursed her lips, stepping out of her skirt and pantyhose. Then she rummaged in her drawers and pulled out a pair of handcuffs and a blindfold. Emma’s jaw dropped. “What the heck? Where did those come from?” 

“I’ve been saving them for a special occasion,” Regina smiled hungrily. “I hope you’re okay with being handcuffed and blindfolded dear.” 

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Emma said. “Hey!” She exclaimed, as Regina leaped onto the bed beside her. “Excited are we now?” 

“You should know dear, that I like taking the lead.” She crawled on top of Emma, her hands playfully skimming over her sides. 

“I had a feeling you might, being The Evil Queen and all,” Emma said slyly. “What was it your sister said? That you like being the leader in the office?” 

”Bedroom.” Regina removed her bra and panties and tossed them on the floor. “Strip.” 

Emma obeyed, tossing the lingerie dress and underwear on the floor. Then she looked up at the brunette, waiting to see what would happen next. 

*****

“Wow.” Emma collapsed beside Regina, breathing heavily. “That was... god, that was amazing.” 

Regina hummed in agreement, trying to contain the arousal she felt still seeping between her legs. “Yeah,” she managed to say. She sighed and moaned in pleasure, the last of the orgasm vibrating in her body.

“You pleasure so well Regina.” 

“And you as well Emma.” And she did. When their bodies had pressed together, she swore that time had stopped and that they were the only two people left on earth. She had kissed every inch of Emma from her forehead to her ankles, and Emma had done the same. And finally, when her fingers had traced inside the blonde, it was like a flower had bloomed in between them. 

She turned to look at Emma. Her eyes were closed, and for a moment she just watched her chest rise and fall with every breath she took. “What are you thinking?” She asked finally. 

Emma opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling. “I’m thinking that I would swim across the Atlantic Ocean for you. I would run a thousand miles for you. I would take a bullet for you.” 

“I would do those things for you too. And so much more.” She turned on her side, looking into Emma’s eyes. “There is something else I wonder if you would do.” 

“What’s that Regina?” Emma asked, reaching over and threading her fingers with the brunette’s. 

“I wonder if you would like to move in with me.” Hopeful. 

Emma didn’t even blink. “Without a doubt.” 

“Good,” Regina said. She pulled Emma into her arms. “Because this is your home now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you’re all enjoying this still! 
> 
> There will be no post on the 20th, as I will be out of town for that weekend. See you on the 27th where a jealous side of Regina is revealed and there are some cute moments with Regina, Henry, Emma and Neal.


	7. A Jealous Queen

Chapter 7: A Jealous Queen 

The next two weeks went by very quickly. First, Emma had sold her condo and moved her things into Regina’s house. The transition was smooth for both of them, and Regina loved that Emma was the first thing she saw when she woke up and the last thing she saw when she went to bed. 

Secondly, after much insistence from Regina, Emma had agreed to accept a raise from her. She hadn’t wanted to at first, but Regina didn’t want her to feel below her in their relationship. And she knew it was hard for Emma to not feel like that, being her assistant and all. That had lead to them talking about jobs and looking into a different position for Emma. At first, Emma had thought about finding a job as a legal assistant elsewhere but then one night, she had opened up to Regina about wanting to teach dance. She had encouraged Emma to take some dance classes, because she knew how much the blonde loved it. She had gone with Emma to register her for a ballet and modern class, which she now took on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. As for teaching, Emma was on a waiting list to take a course at a local college that would teach her all she needed to know about teaching dance. Emma was happy, and Regina was happy for her. 

In those two weeks, Regina had seen James twice. Once during one of Neal’s soccer games, and the second time when they had all gone out for dinner together. It was after that second time, on the drive home, when Emma told her that her uncle had cheated on her mother before. 

“What?!” She hadn’t been surprised. He continued to make endless remarks to her about how beautiful she was or how charming she acted. Once, he had even brushed against her shoulder, which he had claimed was an accident. But she knew better. “How did your mother find out?” 

“She left work early one day because she had a huge headache. She found his car in the driveway, and knew right away something was up. When she went in the house, she found him in bed with his secretary.” 

“Oh my god, what a bastard!” Regina had said. “And your mother didn’t leave him?” 

“Oh she threatened to, but James begged and pleaded for forgiveness, saying it wouldn’t happen again. They had sex that night because he wanted to make it up to her. And I’m pretty sure that’s how Neal was conceived.” Emma had grimaced. “I did the calculations and everything.” 

It had also taken some gentle prodding out of Emma, but Regina finally managed to get her to talk about James murdering her father. What she mainly wanted to know was what he had done with the body. If they could find it, it would be a big help for the case. 

“After James’ finished threatening me, he went downstairs and put on the perfect tearful act in front of my mother and pretended to be my father, saying that he found his brother dead upstairs. Don’t ask me what he did with the knife, because I have no idea. But anyway, my mom was pretty shocked. James didn’t want her seeing the body because he didn’t want her to be traumatized or anything. So she didn’t see the body at all.” 

“And where is the body now?” Regina asked. “In a cemetery?” 

“Oh no, my father was cremated. We took his ashes to the ocean.” 

Groaning, Regina had buried her head in her hands. “And let me guess, it was James’ idea to do that?” 

“No. My father wanted to be cremated after he died. It was in his will.” 

“No autopsy?” 

“Nope. Both my father and uncle were cops, and James pretty much took care of all the legal details and funeral arrangements.” Emma shrugged. 

Now, she sat in her office, twirling a pen between her fingers. She was waiting for Killian Jones, a friend of hers from university, and one of the best cops she knew. She wanted to speak with him about this case, intending to find out if there was anything they needed to keep their eyes out for, and if he would be willing to be nearby on the day she planned to confront James with the evidence. That’s when they found it. Today was the day that James and Mary Margaret had left for France, and it was her and Emma’s first night staying with Neal and Henry at their house. She could hardly wait to begin searching for the evidence. 

She checked her watch, noting that Killian was late. She glanced out at Emma’s desk, but it was empty. Then her phone rang. 

Clearing her throat, she picked it up. “Regina Mills.” 

“Hi Regina, it’s me,” Emma said. 

Immediately, she brightened. “Hi dear, where are you?” 

“I’m actually phoning from Ruby’s desk. There’s a Mr. Jones here that says he has a meeting with you.” She heard someone speaking in the background, and the sound of Emma giggling. 

“What’s so funny?” She narrowed her eyes when Emma giggled again. 

“Nothing, nothing. I’ll bring him in for you.” 

“Please do.” Regina hung up and sighed. She had a feeling Killian was getting well-acquainted with her Emma. 

My god, did I just think that? Regina shook her head to clear it. Through the glass walls of her office, she could see Emma leading Killian in her direction, laughing at something he was saying. 

She stood up, brushing off the front of her blazer. She walked to the door and opened it, stepping into its frame. 

“Killian, always the charmer aren’t you?” She said flatly. 

“Regina!” Killian pulled her in for a hug and pecked her on the cheek. “It’s been too long.” He turned to Emma and took her hand. “Well, it was lovely to meet you Miss Emma! Don’t work too hard now.” 

“Oh I won’t Killian,” Emma said, blushing. She smiled at him and Regina, and then walked back to her desk. 

Regina followed Killian in, closing the door behind them. “Wow, the secretary for this place is a gem.” 

“She’s an assistant actually, and she’s mine,” she said flatly. 

“Oh, your assistant? Wow. She’s hot.” She could practically see the stars in Killian’s eyes.

“Yes,” Regina answered sharply. “And she’s also mine.” At the confused look Killian gave her, she rolled her eyes and sighed. “That assistant is Emma.” 

“Oh that’s...” Killian looked back out at Emma, and then back at Regina. “That’s Emma?” 

“Yes Killian. My girlfriend. So don’t go digging your claws into her,” she said, a tight smile on her face. 

At that, he held his hands up in surrender. “Say no more, I didn’t realize she was off limits. But don’t worry, I’ll steer clear from her.” 

Regina visibly relaxed. “Fantastic.” Sitting back down at her desk, she fixed her friend with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry Killian... I didn’t mean to get snappy.” 

“No worries. You’re The Evil Queen, aren’t you?” He laughed as she playfully swatted him on the arm, and he took a seat across from her. “So, tell me more about this case that you’re working on.” 

So she did. She watched as he pulled a pad and pen from his pocket and jotted down some notes. When she got to the part about Emma’s uncle’s name, she gave his fake name instead which was David. Killian’s head snapped up. “David Charming? He’s a cop?” 

“Yes, but technically his name is James. He’s pretending to be Emma’s father, remember?” Then she groaned. “Shoot! I totally forgot that you two probably know each other. I hope he’s not your partner or anything like that.” 

“No nothing like that,” Killian reassured her. “I’ve seen him around the station once or twice, but that’s about it. The mate is bloody full of himself though. Exactly the kind of guy I would expect to kill his brother. I wonder how he’s pulled the act off for all these years.” 

“He’s smart, I’ll give him that,” she said coolly. “I want him to pay for what he did. Not just to Emma, but to her father. What I want to know is how I should proceed with this.” 

“Well first of all, is there any chance that Emma knows what James did with her father’s body?” 

“It was cremated,” Regina said flatly. 

“Oh. Well then. That’ve would’ve been perfect proof right there.” Killian scratched his chin, looking thoughtful. “What you need first is concrete evidence that James is not David. Photographs, fingerprints, anything you can find that makes it clear that the man that’s taken the place of Emma’s father is not the real David Charming. Second, you need some sort of proof that James killed him. And that is going to be much harder to find. At the very least, if you find the photos or fingerprints, we can link James to David’s disappearance. And after that, he’ll be so trapped into the corner that he’ll have no choice but to confess. Or at least, that would be our best case scenario.”

Regina sighed. “That sounds complicated.” 

“It is, but I think it can be done. And if anyone can pull this off, it’s you.” Killian shook his head, as if to clear it. “Wow, that is one hell of a family secret.” 

“You can say that again.” Regina wrote down what her and Emma needed to do then she looked back up at her friend. “So, if we can find this evidence... can you be nearby when I plan to confront him with it?” 

“I can do better than that. I can be right there.” Killian flashed her a smile. “It’ll be better if I’m the one who’s doing the talking. After all, I’m the cop. I have the authority to arrest him if he happens to confess.” 

“Oh I so badly wanted to be the one to make him squirm.”

“You do realize that you’re not going to be allowed to take the case if it goes to court?” Killian reminded her. “Conflict of interest and all that.”

“Of course.” She had finally come clean and told Mal about everything, including asking whether she’d be willing to take the case should things work in their favour. Mal had agreed and was sworn to secrecy. “I have a co-worker that will take care of it.” 

“Good.” He stood up, tucking his pad into his pocket. “Keep me updated. In the meantime, I think I’ll go say goodbye to...” At the look Regina shot him, he burst out laughing. “I‘m just joking. Not to worry. I won’t even look at her when I walk by.” 

“You’d better not,” she said, pretending to threaten him. But she was smiling. Once she looked out her window and saw him exit the building, she pulled out her phone and sent a text to Emma. A minute later, she came to the doorway. 

“Hey! How did it-”

But before Emma could even finish her sentence, Regina shot out of her seat, closed the door to her office, and took her in her arms. She began kissing her. 

“Whoa what’s going on?” Emma managed to say. “Did Killian-”

“Shhh.” Regina pressed her finger to her lips and trailed her mouth down Emma’s neck. “I just really needed to kiss you.” 

“In the middle of the workday?!” 

“Mhmm.” Her fingers tangled in blonde hair. “I missed you.” 

“You just saw me like ten minutes ago when I brought Killian to your door!” Emma exclaimed. 

She could feel her heart beat a little faster. “I know,” she breathed. She pulled back and stared into green eyes. 

Emma stared back, studying her for a moment. Then her mouth tugged up at the corners. “Wait a minute... you’re jealous aren’t you?” 

Regina blinked at her, trying to look innocent. “Whatever do you mean?” 

“Oh my god Regina,” Emma giggled. “You were jealous when you saw Killian talking to me and attempting to flirt. Admit it.” 

They stared at each other, neither one breaking eye contact. Then Regina sighed. “Okay okay maybe just a smidge?” 

Emma smiled and kissed her. “Nothing to get jealous over. I’m yours through and through. I’m gay, remember?” She pulled back and tilted her head. “Although this jealous side of yours is so sexy. You looked like a lioness standing in the doorway when I walked up with him. No wait... Not a lioness.” She smirked. “An evil queen.” 

Regina rolled her eyes and pulled her closer. “It’s who I am, isn’t it dear?” Then she grabbed Emma’s face and continued kissing her. 

*****

“C’mon Neal, three more bites of chicken,” Emma pleaded. 

“No.” Neal proceeded to swing his fork around the air, pretending it was an airplane.

“Neal...” 

“Emma...” he parroted back. He burst into giggles as Emma sighed. 

Regina felt Emma’s eyes on her, pleading for help. So she looked over at the boy and cleared her throat. “You know Neal, I’ve heard that chicken helps your muscles grow big and strong. Think of all the bad guys you’ll be able to take down.” 

“Really?” Neal exclaimed. He eyed his chicken with sudden interest, and then suddenly began shovelling it into his mouth. 

Emma mouthed a silent thank you as she stood up, carrying the dirty dishes to the sink. Once Neal was finished, she swung him up into her arms and took him upstairs for his bath. 

Beside her, Henry laughed. “Seriously? I stopped falling for that when I was like ten.” 

“Well luckily, Neal still has a few more years of believing to go,” she replied. She watched as Henry drank the rest of his milk. “So, any homework to do?” 

“Nah, I finished it already.” He looked as if he wanted to say something, then hesitated. 

“Something wrong?” Regina tilted her head. 

“No it’s just...” Henry looked up at her. “Can you keep a secret?” 

“Of course.” 

She watched as Henry fiddled with his fork for a minute, then he looked back up. “Well, there’s this girl in my class. And I kind of like her.” 

“Kind of?” 

“Yeah.” She continued to look at him. “Okay, I like her a lot actually. And she likes me too.” 

“Does she have a name?” She asked teasingly. 

“Violet. She’s not popular or into sports or anything like that. She likes to read like I do and she’s the only one I know that knows all the words to Bohemian Rhapsody.” 

“She sounds like a wonderful girl. So what’s the problem?” She asked. 

“Well, it’s my dad actually. I know he wouldn’t approve of her.” Henry sighed. “It’s why I haven’t told my parents about her.” 

“Why wouldn’t he approve of Violet?” 

“Because she comes from a poor family. Her father walked out on them when she was just a baby, and her mother drinks to forget the image of him. Violet’s older sister is nineteen, and had to drop out of high school to support them. My dad looks down on anyone who has less than him. I hate it, but that’s the way he is.” 

Regina’s heart went out to Henry. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him that not only was his father a jerk, but he also wasn’t who he thought he was. But she couldn’t do that. Her and Emma agreed not to discuss the situation with Henry and Neal. Emma hadn’t wanted Henry to worry and Neal was too young to understand. So instead, Regina smiled at him. “Does Violet coming from a poor family bother you?” 

“Of course not,” Henry insisted. “I wouldn’t care if she had three eyes or blue skin. I like her just the way she is, no matter what kind of a background she comes from.” 

“Then it shouldn’t matter what your father thinks. And I know that sounds easier than it sounds, but as you get older, you’re going to find that you and your parents may disagree over some things. You don’t have to agree with everything they say, nor do they have to agree with you. But you still need to respect them. And so do they.” 

She watched as Henry sighed. “I guess it’s a part of life huh?” 

“It is. When I was about your age, my mother and I would have disagreements too. In fact, we still do. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t respect her, or that she doesn’t respect me,” she said thoughtfully. 

“You make it sound so easy.” 

“It’s not at first, but overtime it does get less difficult. It just takes practice.” Regina stood and reached for Henry’s dirty dishes, adding them to her own. “Does that help?” 

“Yeah it does. A lot. Thanks Regina.” He stood up to go and then paused. “But I don’t think I’m ready to tell them yet.” 

“You don’t have to. It’s something you should be comfortable with first before telling them. Wait until you’re ready.” She carried the dishes to the sink and began to load them into the dishwasher. 

“Need help?” He asked, nodding toward it. 

“I think I’ve got it, but thank you.” She looked back at him. “I have a feeling you have a girl you want to send a text too.” 

He blushed. “How did you know?” 

“Just a feeling.” She waved him away. “Go.” 

She laughed to herself as she heard him walk away, remembering the feeling of being young and in love. 

*****

Unfortunately, her and Emma hadn’t had time to do any searching that night. Neal had slipped in the bathtub and bumped his knee, howling. It had taken almost an hour for Emma to calm him down. By the time they got him to bed, and made sure Henry went to bed at a decent time, it was almost ten. “God I’m beat,” Emma said, pulling off her clothes and stepping into her pyjamas. “I’ll shower in the morning.” 

“Sounds like a plan. By the way, what a beautiful voice you have. I heard you singing to Neal. Trying to get him to go to sleep?” 

Emma blushed. “Thanks. You heard that huh?” 

“Mhmm. Maybe some day I’ll be the one you’re singing too,” Regina said, winking. Emma laughed and playfully threw a pillow at her. She was already in her pyjamas and was tucked into the Charmings’ guest bed. She shifted, trying to get comfortable. There wasn’t a lot of room, since it was a twin bed. 

“Sorry,” Emma said, reading her mind. “I know it’s tight. I can sleep on the couch if you want.” 

“Are you kidding me?” Regina said. “Not a chance. You’re sleeping with me. We’ll just have to cuddle closer, that’s all.” 

Emma laughed again and crawled into bed beside her. “I forgot to tell you. Henry’s sleeping over at a friend’s house tomorrow. They’re working on a project for social studies. So hopefully we’ll have some time to search.” 

“I’m sure we will.” She eyed Emma, wanting to ask her something. It had been on her mind for a while, but it had never seemed like the right time to ask. “Emma?” 

“Yes?” 

“Do you remember when you came to my house for dinner? On the day I asked you to come with me to my parents house?” 

“As if I could forget,” Emma said, eyes sparkling. 

“Do you remember when I was telling you about Zelena’s father, and how my father accepted her as his own daughter... and you said that not all people do that?” She reached for Emma and pulled her closer. 

Emma nodded, biting her lip. 

“What did you mean by that sweetheart?” 

Emma looked down, but Regina gently lifted her chin so that she could see her eyes. “It’s not a big deal.” 

“It is to me,” Regina answered gently, but firmly. 

Emma was quiet for a moment. “James never accepted me for some reason. I don’t know why. He pretended to when I was still an only child, and in front of my mother of course. But when my brothers were born, he spoiled them and showered them with love and affection. But me... it’s like he holds me at arms length.” 

Regina kissed Emma’s temple. “Maybe it’s because you were the one who knew his secret?” 

“Maybe.” Emma suddenly pulled the covers off and slipped out from under her arms. “I have to get something.” 

“Are you okay?” 

“Mhmm.” She watched as her girlfriend went over to her bag and pulled out a cream coloured blanket. 

“What’s that?” Regina watched as she brought it over to the bed and crawled in again. 

“It’s my baby blanket. It reminds me of when it was just me, my mom and my dad. My real dad,” she said. Then she turned red. “I still sleep with it every night.” 

“Oh?” She propped herself up on one shoulder. “Is that why you sneak out of bed at night when you think I’m sleeping?” 

Emma froze. “You mean you weren’t?” 

“Not soundly. I wondered when I would find out what it was you were up to and why when I woke up there was a slight lump under the covers,” she answered. She winked at Emma. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about dear.” 

“I’m not embarrassed, I just didn’t know what you would think of it.” Emma laid down and covered herself with the blanket.

Regina snuggled up beside her again and stroked Emma’s hair. “I think it’s very sweet.” 

“Thanks.” 

She was quiet for so long that Regina thought she had fallen asleep. Then Emma whispered her name. “Yes dear?” She playfully whispered back. 

“We need a name for what we’re doing.” 

“A name?” A brow rose in confusion. “What do you mean?” 

“Like for our snooping around.” Emma grinned as she turned to her. “When Henry was little and he wanted to do something sneaky like eat cookies before dinner or ask if he could have fifteen extra minutes of staying up late, he would use a code name with me to discuss it. Like Operation Donuts or Elephants or something like that. Something nobody would ever suspect.” 

“Hmm.” Then an idea came to her. “What about Operation Apples?” 

“Apples?” Emma chuckled. “I like it. Alright... Operation Apples it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three more chapters to go! Thank you to everyone who is still reading and hasn’t lost interest 😅
> 
> In the next chapter, Operation Apples officially begins.


	8. Operation Apples

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize that this is a shorter chapter, but enjoy! 
> 
> And also, I don’t even know if the way they’re going about this is totally legit or not.. but let’s just pretend it is 😅😂

Chapter 8: Operation Apples 

Regina and Emma didn’t manage to get any work done the next night either, when Neal wanted to play Candyland with them. Before they went to bed, they decided that after they dropped the boys off at school the next day, they would come back to the house to start their search. It worked out perfectly because Regina happened to have no appointments or meetings for that day. 

They didn’t get very far in searching though as Regina came across another baby picture of Emma. “Oh Emma! You look so adorable in this dear.” 

Emma turned her head from the closet to look. “Oh my god... give that to me!” 

Regina shook her head, a grin spreading on her face. In the photo was Emma wearing nothing but a diaper, her baby blanket draped over her shoulders. “You were such a cute baby.” She pulled another picture out. Emma was about five or six in this one and she was wearing a swan ballet costume, her arms held high above her. “Oh look at this one. My little swan.” 

“Okay, you’re finished looking through the drawers. You can do the closet,” Emma said, her cheeks reddening. Laughing, Regina switched places with her. 

She began to dig past Mary Margaret’s dresses and James’ dress shirts when she came across a tie holder. “There must be at least fifty ties here. How many does one man need?” She asked aloud. 

“I know. He likes his ties. It’s insane.” Emma began rummaging through the drawers where Regina had been a moment before. She pulled out another picture. “Wow.” 

“What is it?” Regina came over to peer over Emma’s shoulder. It was a picture of Emma as a little girl, maybe two or three, in Mary Margaret’s arms. Beside her was David, his arms wrapped around both of them. 

“I haven’t seen a picture of the three of us in years,” Emma murmured. She slipped it into the pocket of her jeans. “I know I said I was worried about James finding out we’d been through his stuff, but I don’t think he’ll miss this photo.” 

“I don’t think so Emma,” Regina said, trying to lighten the mood. “After all, it’s not him in it.” 

Emma laughed, filling the room with music. Regina smiled and turned back to the closet. 

They continued searching for the next two hours. Then Emma pulled out a piece of paper. “Hey look at this!”

She held it up. There were two sets of fingerprints on it. “I had this done in nursery school. Every child and their parent had to get their fingerprints rolled. It was Safety Day or some cheesy thing like that, where we were all taught about what to do if we got separated from our parents in a public place, what to do if someone was trying to kidnap us, stuff like that. And some cop that my Dad knew was there talking to us about the importance of not going anywhere with a stranger.” Emma squinted at the prints. “Wow, I can’t believe my fingers were once this small.” 

“Let me see that.” Regina held out her hand for the paper and Emma passed it to her. Studying it, an idea began to form in her mind. “So who’s fingerprints are on here with yours?” 

“My dad’s.” 

“Your dad’s? As in David’s?” Her ears perked up. 

“Yeah. I was scared to get it done, so he went first to assure me that it was quick and painless,” Emma replied. 

“Did Neal and Henry get theirs done too when they went to nursery school?” Regina asked. She could hardly believe her luck. 

“Yes.” 

“And who went with them?” 

“James did. Why?” 

Regina shrieked, not able to help herself. She raced across the room and swung Emma around. 

“Whoa what’s going on? Why are you so happy?” Emma asked, looking confused. 

“Emma! These fingerprints are our evidence! We found it!” She exclaimed happily. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“When you had this done, your father took you. David took you. But when your brothers went, James took them.” 

“I’m still confused. What does that have to do with anything?” 

Regina was so excited she thought she would burst. “Your dad and uncle have different fingerprints! This is how we can prove that James is not David!” 

“But they’re twins Regina, identical twins! Don’t they have the same fingerprints?” Emma had sat down on the bed, looking up at her confusedly. 

“No! Nobody has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins! They’re different,” she said. She sat down next to Emma. “Now do you get it?” 

Emma’s eyes widened. “Oh my god... you mean, this is it? James will go to prison?” 

“Not yet,” Regina said. “But rest assured, this is definitely a step in the right direction. Now we need to find Henry’s or Neal’s paper that has James’ fingerprints on them!” 

Emma thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “Neal has his tapped on his bedroom wall! He was so proud of getting it done that he wanted to put it on display!” She raced out of the room. A moment later, she came back with the paper. “Here!” 

Regina took it and held both papers side by side. “This is perfect.” She stood up and grabbed the blonde’s arm. “We have to go!” 

“Go? Go where?” Emma asked. She looked like she was starting to get dizzy since their great discovery. 

“We have to go see Killian and show him what we found! I’ll text him and let him know we’re coming.” Regina pulled her phone out and tapped out a quick message. Then she pulled Emma down the stairs and out to her car. 

*****

Killian took a magnifying glass and held up the paper with Emma’s and David’s fingerprints on it. Then he put it down and picked up the one with Neal’s and James’ prints. 

“Well?” Regina asked. Her and Emma sat across from him in his office. When she had seen him looking at Emma a little too longingly, she scooted her chair closer to her girlfriend and took her hand in hers. He had shaken his head and smiled. He had clearly got the hint that Emma was off limits. 

“Well, there’s no doubt about it. There’s a difference between them alright.” He looked up at them. “Way to go. This is definitely evidence we can use.” 

“So what happens now?” Emma asked, wide eyed. “Will my uncle be arrested?” 

“Not just yet.” Killian put down the paper and magnifying glass and cleared his throat. “First I need to get one of the guys to blow these up so the prints are bigger. Then they’ll need to indicate where exactly the differences are.” 

“And then?” Regina held her breath. 

“And then we can confront him. We’ll see what happens when we do.” He sat back and looked at Emma.   
“Now, this isn’t enough to pin the murder of your father on him. But it’s definitely enough to determine that he’s pretending to be someone he’s not.” 

“Wow,” Emma said quietly. “I can’t believe this is going to happen. I never thought this day would come.” 

Regina squeezed Emma’s hands “I know it’s a lot to process, but I’ll be here with you the whole time. And you don’t even need to be there when Killian and I confront him.” 

“No.” Startled, she looked up at Emma. But there was a fire in Emma’s eyes, one that she had never seen before. “I’ll be there. I want to hear him try to explain his way out of this one.” She looked at Killian. “How soon can we do this?” 

“As soon as they get back from their vacation,” Regina promised. “This has gone on far too long.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn James... get ready! 
> 
> Next chapter, confrontation time!


	9. The Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The moment we’ve all been waiting for. Enjoy.

Chapter 9: The Confrontation 

Regina looked at her girlfriend. “Ready?” 

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Emma replied. Despite that, she still looked a bit nervous. 

Beside them, Killian fiddled with his badge. “Regina, you’ve got your hidden microphone on and recording?” 

“You bet.” Tucked into her blouse, the microphone was there for the purpose of catching James’ confession, a confession that would play back on the tape recorder hidden inside her glove compartment. 

“Alright then, lets get this show on the road.” He nodded to both of them. 

With one more look at Emma to make sure she was okay, Regina rang the doorbell. 

A moment later, Mary Margaret answered and instantly smiled at them. “Emma and Regina! What a surprise. Please come in.” 

They stepped into the house. Regina introduced Killian. “This is Killian, a friend of mine from university.” 

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Killian said charmingly. 

Emma’s uncle stepped into the living room, hearing voices. “Emma, I didn’t know you were coming over today. And Regina! Always good to see you.” Then he turned to Killian. “You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?” 

“That you do mate. I’m a cop, just as you are.” Killian held out his hand and David shook it. “Killian Jones.” 

“I’ll make up some tea for us,” Mary Margaret said. She hurried into the kitchen. 

“Where are the boys?” Emma asked. “I brought a new game for us to play together,” she said, holding up Snakes and Ladders.

“Upstairs,” David said. Emma nodded and went upstairs. She had been vocal about wanting to be there for the confrontation, but had decided that she didn’t want to sit in for it. 

“So, what brings the two of you here today?” David asked, leading Killian and Regina into the living room and gesturing for them to sit. 

“We actually came across something puzzling, and we wondered if you could help us with it,” Regina began. She pulled out the papers with the fingerprints on it that had been blown up. Killian had also circled the differences between the two pairs. 

“Of course. What seems to be the problem?” David asked. 

“See, Emma came across her old fingerprint sheet from nursery school. You know, from Safety Day. When we stayed with the boys while you and Mary Margaret were away, I happened to notice Neal’s sheet on his wall.” She kept her eyes on his face as she spoke.

“Yeah, he was so proud of himself for getting inked,” David grinned. 

Killian jumped in now. “She found something weird about the two sets though. You see, your fingerprints on Emma’s sheet look quite different from your fingerprints on Neal’s sheet.” 

“Oh is that so? Well you know, I guess prints can change over time,” David laughed. But Regina noticed that he started to look nervous. 

“See, the funny thing about that mate is that they can’t. A person’s fingerprints never change.” Killian sat back in his chair and looked David in the eye. “So why would that be? Why are the fingerprints different?” 

By now, Mary Margaret had come out with a tray of tea mugs. She had heard a bit of the conversation and looked confused. Sitting down, she focused her attention on David. 

David tried to smile. “Well, maybe it was an old set of ink that was used?” 

“I don’t think that was the case,” Regina said coolly. “But you know, Emma mentioned to me that you had a brother. What was his name? James right?” 

“Yes,” David answered quickly. “James killed himself when she was seven. God rest his soul.” 

“He killed himself? How tragic. That must’ve been a difficult time for you all, James,” she said flatly. 

David looked at her. “What are you talking about? James is dead. I’m David.” 

“Really? You’re David? I don’t know how the hell you sleep at night.” Suddenly, all the emotions that she had felt, all the anger building up in her toward this man sitting across from her for hurting Emma so badly, everything came out. She folded her arms and glared at him. “Listen, why don’t you make this easier for yourself and tell everyone the truth?! You killed your brother!” 

Killian laid a hand on her shoulder. He shot her a look to be quiet. 

“What are they talking about honey? Is this true?” Mary Margaret asked. A blank expression was on her face. 

“Of course not Mary Margaret,” David said. Regina noticed that he couldn’t look his wife in the eye. “Tell them who I am! I’m your husband!” 

Mary Margaret stood up, putting her thumb in her mouth and walking over to David. 

“What are you-”

Before he could finish, she swiped her thumb across his face. 

There was silence. One moment there had been a mole visible there, the next there wasn’t one. 

“Well, the man I married and said my vows to had a mole on his face,” Mary Margaret said. She crossed her arms and looked him straight in the eye. “When you woke up this morning, you had one, but now you don’t. So what is the truth... are you David or are you James?” 

Regina heard the man swear under his breath. She bit her lip to keep from smiling. 

“Alright fine! I’m James.” He held up his hands. “Shoot me already. I killed him, I killed David.” 

“You bastard!” Mary Margaret screamed. “How could you?!?! How could you kill the man I loved?” 

“You try growing up in his shadow!” James yelled back. “Ever since we were kids everyone adored David, including our parents. It was always ‘David this,’ or ‘David that’. He was the straight A student, captain of the football team, the teacher’s favourite. Even when our father was fighting for his life in a cancer centre years ago, he died with David’s name on his lips, not mine.” He folded his arms. “I just couldn’t take it anymore! I wish he’d never been born! I wanted so badly to be the person that David was, the person who everyone looked up to. But with him around, it was like I was invisible.” Then he smirked. “So I waited to get my revenge. David and his beautiful, pitiful wife and his ugly daughter came to visit me, and it was the perfect time to kill him. I snuck up on him when he least expected it, pulled a knife from my back pocket and stabbed him in the chest with it.” 

Regina was stricken. How dare he call her girl ugly?! She was about to charge forward and slap him across the face, but it turned out Mary Margaret had the same idea as her. 

“I can’t believe you! You took away the love of my life, and Emma’s father! You had me believe all these years ago you were David! You had sex with me, you had children with me!” Mary Margaret’s voice shook as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I can’t believe you fooled me.” Then more softly, “I knew my David would never cheat on me, I knew it!” 

“Of course he wouldn’t have!” James sneered. “He was the perfect husband.” 

“And his body!” Mary Margaret gasped. “You convinced me all those years ago that we should cremate him! That way there wouldn’t be any evidence of him left at all! You’re a monster, a fucking monster!” 

“That’s right I did. He needed to burn in hell like the bastard he was!” 

Regina and Killian exchanged a glance. They couldn’t believe the way this day was going so far. She could see Killian reaching into his pocket for handcuffs. 

“Well mate, I’m afraid you’re under arrest,” Killian said. “You have the right-”

“Bullshit!” James said. “You have no proof, except for my confession! In a court of law, my word is as good as yours.” 

“Not when your confession has been recorded,” Regina said. She tugged aside her blouse, showing him the microphone attached there. 

“You bitch!” He yelled. “Emma told you, didn’t she? Because she saw me kill her father! She’s the only one that knows!” 

Mary Margaret gasped. “You did it... in front of Emma?!?!” 

“That’s right Mary Margaret, I did,” James answered smugly. “You should’ve seen her face. She was terrified at seeing all that blood. I threatened to kill her if she told anyone.” 

“You didn’t...” Mary Margaret said weakly. 

“Oh but I did. Were you naive enough to think I didn’t? And if you were to ask me if I would do it all over again?” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Absolutely. Without a doubt.” 

“Stop it!” 

Everyone turned. It was Emma. She glared at her uncle. “Don’t talk to my mother like that.” 

“Well well well, if it isn’t the girl who started it all.” James crossed his arms. “I told you I would kill you if you told anyone this, don’t you remember Emma?” He eyed her with a dangerous look in his eyes. “ And I never go back on my word.” 

But before he could pull out a gun or a knife or goodness knows what else, Killian had gotten up slammed into him from behind, knocking him onto his stomach and cuffing his hands together. “That’s enough out of you. As I was saying, you have the right to remain silent.” He glanced up at Mary Margaret, Emma, and Regina. “Although I think it’s a little late for that.” 

*****

Regina brought mugs of tea to Emma and Mary Margaret, who were sitting at the table. Mary Margaret was on her second box of tissues, and Emma’s face was blank as she stared at the wall. After Killian had taken James down to the station to be locked up, Henry and Neal had been sent over to the neighbour’s house. 

“Are you okay sweetheart?” Regina asked, setting a mug in front of Emma. 

Emma nodded. When she didn’t say anything, Regina slipped into the seat next to her and took her hand. She was getting worried about her girl. Emma had yet to cry or scream or fall apart. Her ability to stay calm as all hell had broken lose was beginning to worry her. 

“I just can’t believe this actually happened,” Emma said quietly. “I’ve dreamt about this day, but I never thought it would actually come.” She turned to her mother. “I’m so sorry Mom. I’m sorry you had to find out like this.” 

Mary Margaret wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “I’m sorry too honey. All these years, James was pretending to be David... and I never suspected anything.” She shook her head, still in disbelief. “I can’t believe I didn’t know.” 

“He tricked you Mom. You were so in love with Dad, that when James slipped in and took his place, you didn’t think anything of it.” Emma tried to smile. “He was a pretty good actor huh?” 

“Oh Emma.” Mary Margaret reached out and took her daughter’s other hand. “He threatened you and you kept this inside of you for so long. I wish you had told me, but I know why you didn’t.” 

“I was so scared,” Emma admitted. “But then when I met Regina, I felt safe with her. I felt like I could tell her anything.” She looked at Regina and smiled. “And she’s helped me through this. She’s my hero.” 

Regina felt her heart beat a little faster as she squeezed Emma’s hand and smiled back at her. 

“Thank you,” Mary Margaret said to her. “Thank you for being there for my daughter.” She wiped her eyes again. “I don’t know what I’m going to tell the boys.” Then her eyes widened. “The boys! Technically they’re-”

“My cousins,” Emma finished. “I know. But I’ve always thought of them as my brothers.” 

Mary Margaret buried her head in her hands. “My goodness, this is so messed up.” Then she looked up at Regina. “So what happens now? James will go to jail?” 

“For now. Then there will be a trial,” Regina explained. “However, because I am Emma’s girlfriend, I will not be the prosecutor for it. But there’s a lawyer at my firm who will take the case, and she is excellent.” 

“Do you...” Mary Margaret started and stopped. She took a deep breath and tried again. “Do you think his confession will be enough to convict him?” 

“Granted, it’s been over two decades since the murder happened. But given the fact that he confessed and I recorded it, he’ll definitely be doing some time,” she said honestly. “How much that will be, I cannot say.” 

Mary Margaret nodded. Then she stood up. “Excuse me,” she said quietly. She took her mug with her and left the room. Regina listened as a door closed nearby. 

“God,” Emma said. “I can’t even imagine how she feels right now.” 

“I’m sure.” Regina turned Emma’s hand over in her own, and brought it up to her lips. “But as time goes by, things will start to get a little easier each day. I promise.” 

*****

A few days later, Regina woke in the middle of the night to whimpers. She immediately sat up in bed and turned on the lamp on her bedside table. 

Emma tossed and turned next to her, covered in sweat. Tears were rolling down her eyes. “No!” She cried out all of a sudden. “Stop it James!” 

Regina placed her hand on Emma’s shoulder. “Emma,” she whispered. “Wake up, you’re having a nightmare.” 

Emma cried out, kicking her legs under the covers. Regina spied Emma’s baby blanket at the foot of the bed and grabbed it. She settled it over her girl. “Sweetheart, it’s okay. I’m right here.” 

She watched as Emma slowly blinked her way back into consciousness. Her head snapped up. “What-”

“You were having a nightmare sweetheart,” she said soothingly. She gathered Emma up in her arms and made sure the blanket was covering Emma’s lap. She wiped the tears away with her hand. “Want to talk about it?” 

Emma sniffled. “James was coming at me with a gun. Then suddenly you, my mom, and my brothers were there, and then he turned the gun on you guys. I tried to jump in front of the bullets coming out but I was too late.” She drew in a deep breath. “You guys were dead before I knew it.” 

“Oh Emma.” Regina slowly began rocking her. “That must have been very scary. But James is locked up right now. He won’t be able to hurt you or your family ever again. You’re safe now sweetheart.” 

Emma sobbed into her shoulder. Regina tightened her embrace on her. “I’ve got you,” she murmured into the blonde’s ear. “I’ve got you.” 

Emma’s cries began to quiet. When she felt that she was more calm now, she placed Emma back on the bed and stood up. “Where are you going?!” Emma exclaimed. “Don’t go...” 

“I just want to get a damp cloth to wipe your face with dear.” She waited for Emma to nod, then she hurried into the bathroom. She wet a cloth and wrung it out, then grabbed a dry towel. She walked back into the room and sat down beside Emma again. 

She cupped her face, using the cloth to gently wipe away the rest of Emma’s tears. Then she folded it and wiped the sweat off her forehead and neck. Then taking the towel, she patted her dry. 

“Would you like a cup of tea?” She asked. Emma shook her head. 

“I just want you to hold me.” Emma’s breathing still sounded shaky. 

Regina set the cloth and towel on her bedside table, and then got into bed. She pulled the covers over both of them and then took Emma’s baby blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She spooned her from behind and wrapped her arms around her. 

“Regina?” Emma’s voice was barely a whisper. 

“Shhhh,” she murmured. “Try and go back to sleep sweetheart. I’m right here.” 

“Okay,” Emma mumbled sleepily. Within moments she was asleep and Regina kissed her shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter will be more of an epilogue.


	10. The Happy Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Last chapter 😊 Enjoy!

Chapter 10: The Happy Ending 

Two years later 

Two years had passed since the day Killian Jones had arrested James for murder, impersonating not only David, but an officer of the law, and uttering threats. Regina had anticipated a long trial that carried out for months but in the end, it had only taken two. He had wanted to plead not guilty, even though Mal had his confession, as well as Emma’s eye witness account of the murder. He eventually came around and agreed to a guilty plea. The judge had sentenced him to life in prison, given the severity of the crime he had hidden for over twenty years and his lack of remorse for his actions. 

Emma was doing much better, although she still had the occasionally nightmare. After much encouragement from both Regina and Mal, she had finally agreed to go for counselling. Dr. Archie Hopper, who was a childhood friend of Regina’s, specialized in trauma and had agreed to see her, as well as Mary Margaret, Neal and Henry. Emma found that the counselling was helping, and had eventually begun to look forward to the sessions. And she had taken the course to become a dance teacher and passed it. She was now teaching ballet classes at a studio, and it just so happened that they were looking for an administrative assistant as well, so she had applied for that too and had gotten the job. Emma was happy with her new positions, although she still missed working for Regina. However, she had had to agree that she liked being Regina’s girlfriend better than she liked only being Regina’s assistant. 

As for Regina, she could not bring herself to hire another assistant, claiming that no one would do as good a job as Emma had. Instead, she had split her cases and work with Kathryn and Mal, lessening her workload a lot. She found she was happier after she had done that, and liked that she was no longer up to her ears in work. 

Regina felt that things were almost perfect between them. The thing that made it completely perfect was when she had finally decided to do what she had dreamed about for what seemed like forever: propose to Emma. She had already asked for Mary Margaret’s blessing, and she was more than happy to give it. “You’ve brought so much joy to my daughter, and you’ve helped our family out so much. How could I say no?” Mary Margaret had said. Emma had gone dress shopping with her mother, Cora, and Zelena, and they had found the perfect ball gown for her to wear. Zelena assured her that she looked just like a princess in it. Regina had had trouble deciding what to wear; she hadn’t wanted a big long dress, because it would make her feel, well... like a princess. In the end she had found a black silk blouse and matching long skirt to wear, along with a diamond choker that made her look just like the queen she was. Her mother had been horrified that she was going to wear such a dull and depressing colour to her own wedding, but Regina argued back that if anyone was going to wear black to the wedding, it was going to be her. 

Both Emma and Regina had struggled to figure out whether they were both going to walk down the aisle, or whether only one of them should. Since Emma’s father was gone, she had tried to urge Regina that she should be the only to walk down the aisle, since her father was still alive. It had made sense, but Regina argued that she wanted to be the one to watch Emma walk down the aisle to her. Finally, they decided to ask Henry and Neal if they would give their sister away. Henry had enthusiastically agreed, but Neal had been quiet for a moment. “What if I want her back?” He had asked. 

Now, Regina stood at the altar, watching Mal’s young daughter Lily as their flower girl. She carried a little basket filled with purple flower petals, playfully throwing them here and there. Then Emma come down the aisle. She felt her breath catch; her princess looked absolutely stunning. Her dress was a beautiful creamy white, the top part made of satin and decorated with tiny rhinestones, and the bottom made out of tulle, which flowed out all around her. The dress was short sleeved, and around her neck was the diamond necklace that she had bought Emma for their first year anniversary. Her hair hung down her back in ringlets, and her veil carefully covered her face. Emma’s face was beautifully made up, and her lips were the perfect shade of pink. They looked like candy, and Regina bet that they tasted just as sweet. She bit her lip, trying to contain herself because if she didn’t, she knew she would run the rest of the way over to her and begin kissing her. 

Regina smiled as Emma bent down to kiss Neal, then stood back up to kiss Henry. She handed her bouquet off to Zelena, and then turned and faced Regina. 

Things were quiet for a few moments and then the priest began his speech. He spoke about love and hope and a million other things that Regina tuned out. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he turned to her.

“Regina Mills, do you take Emma Swan Charming as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you apart?” 

“I do,” Regina answered. 

“And Emma Swan Charming, do you take Regina Mills as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you apart?” 

“I do,” Emma said. She looked at Regina and smiled. 

“Then by the power vested in me by the state of Washington, I now pronounce you wife and wife.” The priest smiled at the two of them. “You may kiss your bride.” 

Even before he had finished saying that sentence, Regina had pulled Emma against her, lifted up her veil and pressed her lips against hers. Oblivious to the cheers and clapping around them, Emma pulled back slightly. “A bit inpatient are we Regina?” She whispered. “I know you’re a queen and you’re refined and all, but couldn’t you have waited a few seconds more?” Teasing. 

“No I couldn’t,” Regina whispered back. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since I first saw you coming down the aisle. I thought the priest would never shut up. Now be quiet so I can kiss you again.” 

“I think I’ve heard that before,” Emma laughed, as Regina’s lips locked back onto hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! I hope you liked this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you so much for all your kudos and comments!


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